Always You Three
by Siilentpaws
Summary: Back in 1942, the trio of McGonagall, Pomfrey and Hooch first walked the corridors together, forging friendships that would last for all their lives. Faced with misfired curses, dragon pox, Quidditch-related mayhem and Slytherin's monster, they'll need all of Minerva's quick intelligence, Poppy's incredible knowledge, and Rolanda's reckless daring to get them through in one piece.
1. The Beginning

_September 1st , 1942_

* * *

The main corridor of the Hogwarts Express was packed to the brim as students piled on board, most taking little notice of the few first-years desperately trying not to get crushed by the crowd. Minerva spared a moment to think that her unusually tall height did have its advantages as she elbowed her way up the train, paying no heed to the grumbles that followed in her wake. She was beginning to lose hope of finding an empty compartment to sit in when she came across one inhabited by only one other girl, who was too absorbed in her book to hear Minerva's knock on the window. Rather than knocking again, she opened the door and asked "Do you mind?"

The other girl looked up and smiled a bright smile as she motioned for Minerva to enter the compartment. "Of course not! Come in, it's far too crowded out there."

Minerva sat down on the vacant seat opposite the girl, smiling back in her thanks. "I'm Minerva McGonagall, and you are?"

"Poppy Pomfrey." Poppy put her book down on her lap, leaning forward to shake Minerva's outstretched hand.

She opened her mouth to say something else when the door was flung open and another girl literally fell into the compartment. Poppy was on her feet in an instant, by the girl's side and helping her to her feet. "Goodness me, are you alright?"

"Right as rain," the other girl nodded a little breathlessly, flopping down into the seat next to Minerva. "Just got shoved by some idiot, that's all, either they're blind or just plain stupid."

"This is what I meant about that corridor," Poppy muttered half to herself as she sat back down, "I'm Poppy, and this is Minerva."

"It's Hooch, Rolanda Hooch, but just Ro will do." Ro grinned at both of them as she brushed her wild brown hair from her face to reveal shocking yellow eyes, not unlike those of the hawks that Minerva had often seen around her hometown. "Either of you two from wizarding families?"

Poppy shook her head. "Not me, it came as a complete shock when my letter arrived. My parents are both doctors helping out with the war, so I was evacuated with a family. They... ahh... weren't too keen on having a witch around, so I was sent back to London."

"It's in a bit of a state, London isn't it?" Ro sighed, "I can't remember much of it before this bloody Muggle War started, but everyone always says it looked pretty impressive. It's weird that Diagon Alley still looks fine though."

Minerva nodded. "I think it must be all the magical charms they put on it to prevent the Muggles from seeing it. I remember the lady in the robe shop mentioning it while I was being fitted."

"That explains it!" Poppy exclaimed, a look of astonishment on her face. "I was wondering why everything looked fine there. Is it true that wizards aren't allowed to help with the War?"

"Yup." Ro nodded. "Stupid decision if you ask me, the whole thing would have been over and done with long ago."

"And the casualty rate wouldn't have been nearly as high, according to this." Poppy held up her book, which had The Benefits of Magical Medicine written on the cover. "It says that magic can stem internal haemorrhages, remove potentially life-threatening foreign bodies, and heal even the most severe fractures in minutes if the conjurer is skilled enough!"

Minerva thought it sounded fascinating, but there was a blank look on Ro's face. "Sorry Pops, all I heard there were just long, fancy words."

Poppy giggled. "It's alright. I suppose I've grown up with this sort of knowledge, so it's just second nature to me."

"Can't say that applied to me much." Ro gave a short laugh. "Mum works in the Ministry of Magic, Dad used to be an Auror until he got himself blown to smithereens. Apparently me and my siblings- I've got loads of them, 3 brothers and a sister- all need to get dozens of O. and follow in his footsteps. But I've got better things in mind." She turned to her satchel and pulled out a very weathered copy of Quidditch through the Ages, showing Minerva and Poppy the cover with a rebellious grin on her face.

"My mother played Quidditch at Hogwarts," Minerva said, the book Ro was holding up jogging her memory, "I'd love to try it too, though I haven't got a broomstick yet.

"I have," Ro grinned excitedly, "brought it in Diagon Alley when I got my wand as an early birthday present. It's a Silver Arrow model, the same ones as the Montrose Magpies have got. Can't show you now as it's in the trunk, but I have got this." She whipped her wand out of her robe pocket and waved it around in the air, causing Poppy to lean back into her seat. "Relax Pops, I'm not going to take your eye out. Cedar with phoenix feather this is, 10 inches and a bit temperamental. What have you two got?"

Minerva pulled her wand from her robes and held it up next to Ro's so they could be compared. "It's fir wood with a dragon heartstring, 9 and a half inches long. I'm looking forward to using it without having to hide it all the time."

"Not from a magical family either then? How come your Mum went to Hogwarts if you have to hide your wand?"

Minerva hesitated for a while before finding an answer. "My mother was a witch, but my father wasn't. She never told him until after I was born and he didn't like it much, so I was never able to practise much."

Ro pulled a sympathetic face. "That's tough, at least you'll get free reign at Hogwarts. Let's see your wand, Pops."

"11 and a quarter inches with pear wood and unicorn hair." Poppy said proudly, taking it carefully out of her pocket. "The shop owner said it would be good for charming, but I have no idea what that- "

Poppy broke off abruptly as the train screeched to a halt. Without the familiar chuffing sound of the engine and regular clicking of the tracks below them, Minerva noticed for the first time the muffled explosions that were sounding all around them.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ro asked loudly, jumping to her feet and moving towards the window. Minerva kneeled up in her seat to look over Ro's head, trying to see the source of the explosion sounds.

Poppy joined them with a lot more trepidation. "I think we're being bombed." She said quietly, the colour drained from her face and her blue eyes looking terrified. Seeing Ro's confused face, she added "It's not just London that gets attacked, this happens everywhere, all the time."

"But the Hogwarts Express is invisible to Muggles," Minerva objected, squinting through her glasses out the window. "How can they be trying to bomb us if they can't see us?"

"I don't think it's intentional, dearies." A new voice sounding made all three of them jump, and they turned around to see the trolley lady in the doorway of their cabin. "You're right in that they can't see us, but that doesn't mean they can't hit us, so the driver's decided to stop the train until it passes. Would any of you like a snack to keep you going?"

Poppy shook her head as she sat down, still looking very pale.

"A cauldron cake for me please, and a pumpkin pasty for these two to share." Ro said, digging around in her coin purse and pulling out a couple of silver Sickles.

Minerva looked over at Ro in surprise as she slid back into a sitting position, not accustomed to the generosity that she was being shown. "You don't have to-" she started, but Ro waved a hand in her face as she took the food from the trolley lady.

"Yeah I do, someone's got to educate you two in proper magical food." Ro grinned as she broke the pumpkin pasty into two pieces. She put one half in Minerva's lap before she could object again and threw the other piece at Poppy, who caught it with a shallow smile and slight nod of thanks.

"Do you know how long it will be until we reach Hogwarts?" Minerva asked the trolley lady just before she went to close their compartment door.

"Another six hours I'm afraid, deary, and that's if we get moving again quickly." The trolley lady said, chuckling quietly as Ro let out a groan. "If I were you I'd get some sleep girls, you don't want to be tired for when we arrive." She advised before clicking the door shut and moving further up the corridor.

Sighing in resignation to the long wait ahead of them, Minerva took a bite of her pasty. The incredible flavour sang on her tounge and she closed her eyes for a moment to savour the taste. "This is amazing, thank you." she said to Ro as she finished her mouthful before eagerly taking another one.

"S'alrigh'" Ro mumbled through the cauldron cake she was eating, dropping crumbs all over her lap.

Once Minerva finished her pasty, she looked over at Poppy to check she was alright. To her concern, the other half of the pasty sat still untouched in her lap and she was keeping her gaze firmly to the floor. The reason behind Poppy's terror was quickly discovered; another nearby explosion shook the carriage and she clamped her hands over her ears, her eyes squeezed shut.

Ro and Minerva exchanged concerned looks, then Ro got out of her seat and put an arm around Poppy's shoulders. "It's alright, I've got you. It's the bombing isn't it?" As she spoke, Ro stood Poppy up and walked her over to sit on the other side of the compartment next to Minerva.

Poppy sniffed as she sat down. "Yeah," she said quietly, rubbing her eyes, "I never heard them while I was evacuated, but back in London they were everywhere. Buildings exploding, children screaming, and people dying all around you, and the doctors couldn't- hurt too badly-"

She broke off, gentle sobs shaking her shoulders. Sympathy rushed through Minerva and she shuffled closer to Poppy, placing her hand over Poppy's shaking one. She didn't know quite what to say to offer her any comfort, having never experienced the Muggle war firsthand since she'd lived right in the Scottish hills.

All three looked up suddenly as the compartment door opened again, the trolley lady peering through with a pitied expression. "You're not alone my dear, all the Muggleborns are feeling the same way." She said, crouching in front of Poppy and handing her a glass of clear liquid. "I've been told to hand these round by the driver; drink up nice and quickly now, and you'll sleep for the rest of the journey. Would you two like some as well?" Her last question was directed at Minerva and Ro, and before Minerva could respond, Ro nodded her head.

"May as well, I s'pose." Ro shrugged, taking the two glasses the trolley lady held out and passing one to Minerva.

She inspected the liquid for a moment, having doubts about whether to drink it or not. Poppy's head slumping onto Minerva's shoulder told her that she'd drunk the sleeping potion, and Ro pulled her legs onto the seat and lay down, using Poppy's lap as a pillow, before doing the same. The last Minerva heard from her was a complaint about the cramped space with them all on one seat, before her yellow eyes closed.

Deciding she'd be better off doing some reading before they got to school, Minerva placed the sleeping potion gently down on the seat next to her as she fished around in her bag for a book whilst being careful to not disturb Poppy. Her hand closed on A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration, and she adjusted her glasses slightly before opening the cover and beginning to read the introduction.

But the gentle snoring of her new-found friends left feeling sleepy as if she'd drunk the potion too, and it wasn't long before her head fell forwards in sleep and the book dropped to the floor.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _As the summary suggests, the story will focus around Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva McGonagall and Rolanda Hooch as a trio. Other central characters will be Lyall Lupin, Septima Vector, Irma Pince, and Millicent Bagnold._

 _A slight AU in terms of minor date alteration, for the purpose of certain events happening at certain times, Minerva, Poppy and Rolanda are all born in 1930/1 meaning they all begin school in 1942._


	2. All Sorted

_September 1st, 1942_

* * *

The first thing that Ro noticed upon waking was that there was no light shining in the window anymore and the light inside the compartment had been dimmed to a dusky glow. Realising they'd been asleep for hours, she looked up from where she lay with her head on Poppy's lap to see if she or Minerva had woken. Both of them were still asleep, so she attempted to sit up slowly without disturbing their rest.

Her plan was foiled when the train jerked to a halt and the whistle blew loudly. Ro was thrown off the seat onto the floor and Minerva's head shot up with a sharp intake of breath, sending her glasses clattering down on the floor beside Ro. Poppy lifted her head with a yawn, and Ro was pleased to see that the colour had returned to her face and her eyes had lost the look of despair.

"We nearly there yet?" Ro asked, making Minerva and Poppy look down at her with identical expressions of confusion. She propped herself up on her elbows and handed the glasses back to Minerva, who kneeled up on her seat to look out the window as she'd done earlier.

"Ro," Poppy said, wincing a little as she rubbed her evidently stiff neck, probably caused from spending the past six hours with her head on Minerva's shoulder, "Why are you on the floor?"

Ro shrugged. "I dunno, to be honest. Not too bad down here actually, there's more room than there was up there with you two!"

"Everyone's getting off, I think we need to go." Minerva reported, standing up and holding out a hand to pull Ro to her feet.

The three packed away their belongings that had fallen out of their bags during the journey, before leaving their compartment and joining the crowd in the corridor. Ro could feel Poppy's hand grasping the sleeve of her robes as they battled through the throng of people and she did the same to Minerva's robes, trying to minimise the chance of them getting separated. Once on the platform they could hear a booming voice calling for the first-years, so they set out in that direction.

"Right then." The owner of the voice was a broad-shouldered man dressed mostly in furs and leather, and he addressed the crowd of first-years as the platform slowly cleared. "M'name is Ogg, 'n' I'm the gamekeeper 'ere at 'ogwarts. You all follow me please!"

Still clinging onto each other, Ro, Minerva and Poppy followed Ogg off the platform and down to the edge of the lake. There were boats scattered across the surface, and beyond them stood the magnificent Hogwarts Castle.

"No more than four to a boat please!" Ogg shouted as he climbed into boat himself; Ro watched in amazement as he began to float towards the castle without so much as oars or paddles to propel him. Eager to get onto the lake, Ro started running towards an empty boat with Poppy by her side, but they stopped and looked back upon realising that Minerva hadn't moved from where they'd stood a moment ago.

Ro sent Minerva a confused look as she watched her shoulders slump slightly, heading towards them with a reluctant look on her face. "I hate water." She muttered quietly but clambered into the nearest boat all the same, leaving Ro and Poppy to climb in after her.

Ro took Minerva's hand in bid to comfort her as the boat started moving across the lake, the castle slowly growing nearer. Once they'd crossed the lake they climbed out to stand on the shore, Poppy's small stature meaning that she toppled over the side and had to rely on Minerva's quick instincts to prevent her falling into the sand.

Ogg led them through a huge set of doors and into a stone-walled corridor, lit only by the flaming torches hung either side of the corridor. "The first-years, Professor Dumbledore." Ro heard Ogg's voice say, and she stretched her neck upwards in an unsuccessful attempt to see who Ogg was talking to.

"Thank you, Ogg, I'll take them from here." The man who must have been Professor Dumbledore replied, and as he moved towards them Ro saw a wizard with a long, slightly greying ginger beard. "Arrange yourselves into a nice line, yes that's it, and we'll go into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony!"

Ro had heard a little about the infamous Sorting Ceremony from her older brothers, all of whom had already left Hogwarts. She knew that she would have to wear the Hat, but had no idea how this led to the decision of her House being made. Standing with Minerva and Poppy either side of her, they and all the other first-years followed Professor Dumbledore through another equally large doorway and into the Great Hall. She couldn't help the nerves that suddenly appeared when she felt the eyes of hundreds of other students on her as they processed through the gap between two of the four tables, coming to a halt before a fifth one at the very end of the Hall. There was a wooden stool placed in front of the fifth table, and on it sat a very old and very ragged hat.

"Now, when I call your name, you will come forward, sit down, and I will put the Sorting Hat on your head." Dumbledore addressed the first-years, before peering down at the long list in his hand. "Bagnold, Millicent!"

A dark-haired girl shuffled past Ro to sit on the stool. Dumbledore placed the Hat on her head, covering her eyes, and the Great Hall fell into silence for a few moments before it shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" Millicent handed the Hat back to Dumbledore with a smile as applause broke out from the tables behind them, but they were hushes when Dumbledore said the next name.

The butterflies in Ro's stomach grew worse as he neared H on the alphabet, twiddling her fingers in anticipation. She was watching Wilhelmina Grubbly cross the Hall and sit down at the Hufflepuff table when the call of "Hooch, Rolanda!" startled her. She took a deep breath before walking up to the stool and sitting down, reaching up to take the Hat from Dumbledore and dropping it over her eyes.

"Now let me see..." A voice sounded in Ro's ear, startling her for the second time. "There's a lot of cunning in you, young lady, but also a lot of bravery. Reckless bravery, some might say, and a burning need to carve your own path in life."

'Is that a good thing?' Ro thought, instantly thinking of her dislike mother's plans to get her a job in the Ministry of Magic, and was surprised when the Hat answered her.

"Oh yes, you'll go far with that attitude. And on that note, for you it'll be GRYFFINDOR!"

As the applause started up again, she slid of the stool and left the hat behind as she ran towards the table full of beckoning people. She took a seat next to an older boy, though in Ro's opinion he looked to be more Giant than person. This was confirmed when his handshake felt like it could take her shoulder off.

"Rubeus Hagrid, but just call me Hagrid." He said as he grinned down at her, releasing her hand to her relief. "Welcome to Gryffindor, the best House there is!"

Hagrid fell quiet as Dumbledore kept calling out the names, clapping politely as students were distributed across the Houses. The next Gryffindor was a mousey-haired boy who introduced himself as Lyall Lupin as he sat down opposite Ro. She was about to reply with her own name when the proceedings by the stool caught her attention completely.

"McGonagall, Minerva!"

Ro watched intently as her friend sat down on the stool, the hat falling over her eyes as it had done to everyone before her. Every one of Ro's fingers was crossed for Minerva to be in Gryffindor as she waited for the Hat to make the decision.

And waited.

And waited.

The silence had broken into hushed murmurs, the minutes stretching out without a single indication that the decision was nearing. Ro didn't notice that her head was dropping towards the table until she was suddenly aware of enthusiastic clapping and cheering all around her. She looked around wildly and realised that she'd dozed through the Hat's verdict; to her delight, when Minerva got off the stool she headed straight in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

"That," said Ro as Minerva took a seat next to her, "was possible the most torturous wait I've ever endured."

"Five and a half minutes!" said a stern looking girl sat on the other side of Hagrid, looking closely at a pocket watch attached to the inside of her robes. "You're officially a Hatstall; very rare. I'm Augusta Brown, Gryffindor prefect."

Minerva leaned forward to see Augusta around Hagrid. "Nice to meet you Augusta." She said before turning back to Ro. "You're lucky I'm here, that Hat was close to putting me in Ravenclaw!"

While Ro and Minerva quietly discussed the Sorting Hat's decision, they didn't notice the names trickling past until Dumbledore called "Pomfrey, Penelope!" Ro was confused for a moment before she saw Poppy's blonde-haired figure approaching the stool, and realised that Poppy must only be a nickname.

As the now-familiar silence descended again, Ro found herself chanting in her head. 'Please be Gryffindor, please be Gryffindor,' she begged to herself, 'please be a-'

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ro and Minerva cheered louder than anyone else on the Gryffindor table as Poppy ran towards them, sitting down next to Lyall with an overjoyed grin on her face. "I can't believe we're all together!" She said excitedly.

"Me neither," Minerva grinned back in response as the attention reverted back to the still-ongoing ceremony.

Once the ceremony ended with Septima Vector being placed into Ravenclaw, the Headmaster stepped forward to the podium. Ro recognised Professor Armando Dippet from a portrait she'd seen in the Ministry when she'd been there with her mother once. To her relief the speech didn't last long, and then to her utter amazement, food appeared on the plates in front of her.

"This is all for us?" Poppy asked in amazement, looking confusedly around at Ro and Minerva. "Surely we can't have this much each... the rationing?"

"The Muggle War doesn't apply here, Poppy," Lyall said between mouthfuls. "We're not allowed to help, so we don't have to follow their war rules. Seems fair to me."

"Well I suppose," Poppy said though hardly seemed convinced. Ro noticed that she merely picked at her food during the whole of the feast and ate very little, and at the end of the meal she gave her plate to Hagrid to finish off. After Professor Dippet dismissed them all from the Hall, they followed behind Augusta and the other Prefects up the seemingly never ending staircases to stand in front of a portrait.

The subject of the portrait, a very fat woman, leaned forward and addressed Augusta with a pompous look on her face. "Password?"

"Doorknob." Augusta said calmly, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a large and homely looking room with a roaring fireplace. She called over her shoulder "I expect you all to remember that!" before climbing through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Before they had the chance to look around, Augusta was directing everyone to various staircases that branched off from the Common Room. "First-year girls!" she shouted over the talking, "That's just Rolanda, Minerva, and Penelope, you're in that dormitory." She pointed to the nearest set of stairs before moving away to address the first-year boys.

Ro pushed through a group of second-years with Minerva and Poppy right behind her, and together they climbed the stairs and opened the door. To their utmost surprise they were greeted by the excited hoots of three owls, each perched on the roof of a four-poster bed.

"Hello Piper!" Poppy smiled as she stroked the head of the little owl that had just swooped down onto her shoulder.

"I wish Archer was that friendly." Ro muttered, looking up at the eagle own that had its wide amber gaze fixed on her. "He used to belong to my oldest brother Kurtis, but when he joined the Aurors, Archer became mine. Don't think he was too happy about that." As if in agreement, Archer let out an indignant sounding screech.

"Well this is Fergus." Minerva introduced her own owl who was sitting rather lopsidedly on the witch's hat she was wearing. "A tawny owl who took quite a liking to this hat I that was wearing in Diagon Alley!"

Minerva ended her sentence with a yawn, and Ro couldn't help laughing. "Tired much?" she asked.

"Aren't you?" Poppy asked with an identical yawn, and Ro suddenly realised she was exhausted.

"Yeah, I am actually. We should go to bed, or we'll end up dozing off in one of tomorrow's lessons."

It didn't take long for them to change from their robes into nightgowns, and with the owls settled on the bedposts they each climbed into their respective beds. Ro had hardly rested her head on her pillow when sleep engulfed her, dreaming of all the possibilities that would face them the next day.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _For any of you who haven't caught on with my character references, Wilhelmina Grubbly is Professor Grubbly-Plank (in this story she aquired the Plank surname through marriage), Septima Vector is Professor Vector (arithmacy teacher), Lyall Lupin is Remus Lupin's father, and Augusta Brown is Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother (since she married into the Longbottom family I found another supposed pureblood surname for her- according to the HP wiki, Lavendar Brown is a pureblood so I just used that)._


	3. First Impressions

_September 1942_

* * *

When the first-years were given their timetables by Professor Dumbledore when eating breakfast at the Great Hall the next morning, both Ro and Minerva were disappointed to find that flying lessons weren't included. Poppy, on the other hand, was quite relieved. She'd heard plenty of stories from Ro about her brothers' various broom-related injuries, and that combined with the queasiness that great heights gave her make her reluctant to get her hands on a broom.

Despite the disappointment over the flying lessons, the first week proved to be anything but dull. Their first lesson had been Transfiguration with Professor Dumbledore, and his initial speech about the dangers of his branch of magic had brought terror to the faces of a few of the Hufflepuffs they were sharing the class with. This wasn't the case with William Tonks though; as soon as Dumbledore finished speaking he changed the colour of his hair from an auburn brown to bright blue and asked if that counted as transfiguring himself. After Dumbledore and the rest of the class had responded with enthusiastic applause, Dumbledore had apologised to him and said that metamorphmagus abilities were inherited rather than learned so it didn't. He'd then proceeded to change his wizard hat into a bright red parrot as a proper demonstration, which flew quite merrily around the room until he changed it back a few minutes later.

Once they started actually using their wands, much to everyone's excitement, it was instantly discovered that wand-work was a great deal harder than it was often made out. The only person in the class to fully transfigure their match into a needle had been Minerva, though Poppy was proud to say that her match was a lot more silver-looking that it had started out as. They'd all been given matches to practise with for their homework, then for the Gryffindors it was off to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

This was the lesson that everyone had been looking forward to the most, and the atmosphere in the classroom while the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws waited for Professor Merrythought was almost electric with excitement. The Ravenclaw Head had bustled into the classroom a few minutes later, muttering hurried apologies and complaining about the huge amount of stairs leading down from Ravenclaw tower. After she called the register, in which Poppy missed her name due to being enraptured by the quill on her desk moving completely by itself, she turned to face the students.

"Good morning class, welcome to D, A, D, A. And before any of you start fretting, we won't be cursing each other just yet!" Professor Merrythought laughed, and Poppy's first impression of her was that her surname was very appropriate. "I'm afraid we'll be focusing mainly on some theory work for the next month or so before we start on any defensive spells."

There were a few groans around the classroom, and a couple of people went to put their wands away before Professor Merrythought waved at them to stop. "But I know you must all be eager to get your wands moving, so I've got something a little special planned for today." She picked up a small pot from her desk and said "Would you all mind holding your breath for a few moments?"

There was a rushing sound as the entire class filled their lungs with air, before Professor Merrythought opened the pot and tossed the contents into the air. Poppy was startled to see the lights dim instantly, even the sunlight streaming through the window appeared to have got gloomier. She could just about make out the figures of Minerva and Ro either side of her, but everyone else had disappeared into the gloom.

"That, everyone, was Instant Darkness Powder." Professor Merrythought's voice sounded, her words punctuated with the odd cough. "The British variant, mind, not quite as powerful as the Peruvian version. But in this case our own make is much more useful, as it allows me to easily demonstrate this to you all."

Several people gasped as a light suddenly shone through the darkness, illuminating Professor Merrythought's face. "The Wand-Lighting Charm, most useful for navigating through dark. It's a simple enough spell, but, as with nearly everything you will be taught in my classes, it requires care. If any of you notice your wands heating up I need to be notified immediately. Have I made myself clear?"

There were a few affirmative murmurs, which seemed to satisfy the Professor. "Now," she continued, "I would like you to all raise your wands. Wave them in a loop-the-loop pattern, and say 'lumos'. 'Looo-mos', nice and clearly now. Let's see you all have a go."

Slowly but surely, tiny lights started appearing all around the classroom. Poppy waved her wand and said "Lumos!", and was thrilled when the tip of her wand started to glow brightly. Ro's grin was lit up, quite literally, on Poppy's left, and it wasn't long before Minerva's wand did the same.

Excited chatter broke out as more and more students performed the charm, but the atmosphere changed instantly with a panicked half-shout that came from near the back of the classroom.

"Er, Professor Merrythought, I think my wand's about to melt!"

Professor Merrythought picked up her skirts in one hand and hurried to the source of the voice, where Hector Bones' frightened face was illuminated by his scarlet-glowing wand. "It's alright now dear, you've just overcharged it a little. Let me have a look." She took the wand from him and mouthed something; the light from the wand faded instantly with a quiet rush of sound. "There you go Hector, you can have another try now." When he tried the charm again the wand glowed the same sherbet yellow colour as everyone else's, and Professor Merrythought used the light of her own wand to guide her back to the front of the classroom.

"The charm I just used on Mister Bones' wand was the Wand-Extinguishing Charm, and it does exactly what it says in the name. You simply wave the wand like this," Professor Merrythought waved her wand in a pattern that looked to Poppy something like an ocean wave, the light leaving a trail through the darkness, "and say the incantation 'nox'."

The light on her wand flickered out instantly, and it wasn't long before the room had been plunged completely into darkness.

"You have the rest of this lesson and your homework to perfect this charm!" Professor Merrythought shouted as she lit up her wand, and the rest of the lesson was filled with tiny lights switching constantly from on to off.

In their dormitory that night, Poppy was forced to sleep with her head underneath her pillow due to the light shining from Ro's bunk bed. Ro had dark circles under her eyes the next day from spending so much time practising both the lumos spell and transfiguring her match, losing Gryffindor a point when she dozed off in Professor Beery's Herbology lesson. She dozed off in History of Magic too, but to Poppy's relief Professor Binns never faced the class long enough to notice a sleeping student.

Any trace of fatigue that she had left was instantly banished when a note appeared on the Gryffindor notice board after dinner that evening. It read 'FIRST-YEAR FLYING LESSONS WITH MISTER SPINNET: 12TH SEPTEMBER AT 3:30'.

"That's only a bit more than a week away!" Lyall Lupin said excitedly.

"And it's my birthday!" Ro added with an equally joyous expression, "It's like Mister Spinnet's given me an early birthday present- an excuse to get the Silver Arrow out!"

Poppy said nothing, too occupied with worrying about how her first time on a broomstick would end up.

It turned out she was right to be worried, as the lesson couldn't be described as anything less than utter carnage. Mister Spinnet had played Quidditch professionally for the Kenmare Kestrels 'back in his day', as he spent the first 20 minutes of the lesson telling them. Even Poppy was beginning to wish he'd hurry up and get on with it when he decided he'd get his first broomstick out to show him, leaving the combined class of Gryffindors and Slytherins alone on the practise field.

"I didn't need some rusty old Kestrel to teach me how to fly anyway." Abraxas Malfoy drawled loudly, earning him an admiring look from fellow Slytherin Druella Rosier. "I've got a Cleansweep Four, by far the best racing their broom there is. I hear that this is what the Chudley Cannons have all got."

"Those brooms must be bloody fantastic then," Ro shouted loudly with sarcasm thick in her voice, much to Poppy' horror, "seeing as the Cannons have been last in the Quidditch League for about the past 40 years! Just because they were top in Spinnet's Era doesn't mean they're worth a Knut nowadays!"

There was silence as Abraxas stalked up to Ro followed by his gang of Druella, Apollyon Pringle, and Owle Bullock. The Gryffindors cleared a space around Ro, though Poppy and Minerva stayed only a step or two behind her.

"What sort of old twig is this then?" Owle asked, pointing to Ro's Silver Arror which Poppy saw her grip tighten around. "I'll bet whatever Spinnet's fetching now is more up to date than this!"

There was laughter from the Slytherins, and as Poppy looked towards Minerva she saw her green eyes flashing with fury. Minerva glanced at Poppy, then as one they stepped forward to stand either side of Ro.

"Well if you and your brooms are all so very talented," Minerva snapped, her voice like ice, "Let's see how you fare up there."

"How about we have a little race?" Druella suggested with a coy smile. "The four of us have to fly all around the Quidditch patch one by one, at the same time as you Gryffindors, and the first House with ll members back and dismounted are the winners. Except there are only three of you, so-"

"Not anymore." A voice sounded from behind Poppy, and she turned to see Lyall standing on her other side and giving Druella a harsh glare.

Druella didn't manage to keep the look of disgust from her eyes, looking at Lyall as if he was a piece of dirt she'd found on her shoe. "Alright then, we challenge you. Now don't be too disappointed if you don't win, seeing as our brooms are far superior to yours. I could say the same about some members of your team too," Poppy gulped as the sinister gaze was turned in her direction, well aware that Druella was referring to her Muggleborn heritage, but she just about managed to look Druella in the eye without quavering, "but that would be terribly unsporting, wouldn't it?"

"You're on." Ro growled before she beckoned the Gryffindors into a circle. "Right, we need to win this," she said firmly, "I'm going first, and then I want you to go next Poppy."

Poppy opened her mouth to protest but Ro interrupted her before she could start. "I know you've never flown before, so putting you second will give Lyall and Minerva enough time to catch up if need be. Lyall's got the better broom so he can go next, and Minerva you'll bring up the rear. All clear?" There were hurried nods from Poppy, Lyall and Minerva, which seemed to satisfy Ro.

They all lined up in order facing the Quidditch pitch as the Slytherin team did the same, headed by Owle who was followed by Druella, then Apollyon, then Abraxas at the rear. Druella gave Poppy a malevolent leer, but before she could react Owle had taken flight.

"Bloody cheater!" Ro screeched before she shot into the air, zooming after Owle and quickly starting to close the distance between them. It quickly became clear to Poppy that Abraxas' comments about the Silver Arrows were completely unjust, as it had overtaken Owle's Comet 140 despite his headstart by the time they were three quarters of the way around the pitch.

Before Poppy knew it Ro was zooming into land, and following the instructions that Minerva was shouting behind her she kicked off the ground and leaned forward. There was laughter from the Slytherins as the school-borrowed Oakshaft 79 nearly tipped her off, but she somehow managed to regain her balance and take control enough to steer it around the Quidditch Pitch. She could see Druella overtake her just under the halfway point from the corner of her eye but ignored her entirely, keeping her concentration focused on staying airborne.

Her stomach was churning by the time she touched down beside Ro, who swept her into a proud hug as Lyall's broom rose into the air and he followed after Apollyon. When Ro released her, they both cheered enthusiastically as Lyall caught up with Apollyon, and they both landed beside their teams at almost the same moment. Minerva was soaring in the direction of the Quidditch pitch before Abraxas had even lifted off, but as she watched them fly, Poppy could see clearly that the distance between them was getting smaller.

They were neck and neck whilst on the home strait, nearing the ground in preparation to land, but then Abraxas slammed his broom into Minerva's to the horror of the watching Gryffindors. With an alarmed shout, Minerva was thrown sideways and dropped like a stone to land on the grass below.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here!" a voice behind them shouted, and Poppy turned around to see Professor Dumbledore marching towards them with Mister Spinnet following not far behind. "Mister Malfoy, I want an explanation immediately!"

Abraxas, who was still in the air, landed immediately and took a few steps towards Professor Dumbledore. "They challenged us sir, said if we refused then they'd tell the whole school we were cowards! That one," he pointed to Minerva who hadn't yet got up, "tried to push me off my broom, and it was all I could do to keep my balance."

Poppo felt anger rush up inside of her, but was knocked aside by Ro who had launched herself in Abraxas' direction. "You lying scum!" she shouted, and had to be restrained by Poppy and Lyall clinging to each arm.

Professor Dumbledore raised a hand to silence Ro, before addressing the members of both Houses. "Seeing as I seem to be receiving a different opinion from each House, I am have no choice but to punish you both equally. Gryffindor and Slytherin House will each lose 20 points for this, and Miss McGonagall will be placed in detention. I will be informing Professor Slughorn of this, and I can only warn you that he will have a similar punishment awaiting you Mister Malfoy. Slytherins, you are all dismissed."

Ro, Poppy and Lyall didn't move as the Slytherins backed away, ignoring the triumphant glares that were sent away. As soon as they were out of hearing range, Poppy was forced to let go of Ro as she sprinted towards Professor Dumbledore.

"It wasn't Minerva's fault Professor, Abraxas Malfoy slammed into her and knocked her clean off!" She protested, but again Dumbledore silenced her.

"I am aware of that, Miss Hooch, I watched the entire incident from my office window." Professor Dumbledore said calmly, "Miss McGonagall will not receive detention, but I will be forced to take the House Points as I cannot be accused of favouring my own House over Slytherin. I'm sure Professor Slughorn will deal with them accordingly, but now we must turn our attention to Miss McGonagall."

Minerva had pushed herself into a sitting position by the time they approached her, giving Poppy a reassuring smile as she crouched down so she was on eye level with Minerva.

"Are you alright?" Poppy lifted each of Minerva's arms in turn, moving them around as her parents had shown her to check for breaks. When Minerva didn't respond to the movement she asked "Does anything hurt?"

"Nothing more than my pride," Minerva muttered, letting Lyall and Ro help her to her feet.

"All the same, Miss McGonagall, I think we ought to take you along to the Hospital Wing." Professor Dumbledore advised. "I think Matron Quinine would be very unhappy with me if I let you go to your dormitory without being checked over. Miss Hooch, Miss Pomfrey and Mister Lupin, I would like you three to escort the rest of your classmates back to your common room. This lesson will be rescheduled to a later date."

Without another word he was off in the direction of the door back into the Castle, an arm around Minerva's shoulders. Poppy looked back at Ro and was surprised to see tears brimming in the usually sharp yellow eyes.

"Well that must be one of the worst birthdays I've had so far!" she shouted, the pitch of her voice rising rapidly, before she snatched her Silver Arrow off the ground and strode away in the opposite direction.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _And our baddies get their first introduction! They're all canon, just stick their names into the search bar of the HP wiki and you'll see who I'm talking about._

 _Hector Bones is the father of Amelia and Edgar Bones, and William Tonks is related somewhat (I was thinking an uncle) to Ted Tonks. I know canonically Ted is a muggleborn, but I'd already written in his character by the time this was discovered and I liked him too much to ditch him._

 _Professor Merrythought is great, if it weren't for the fact that Dumbledore was Gryffindor Head I'd have given her that position in the story. You'll see a great deal more of her as the story progresses._


	4. Trick not Treat

_October 1942_

* * *

With the exception of the knife-sharp glares that were often exchanged between the Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years, any further conflict with between the two Houses was somehow avoided. Minerva was glad of this, and the fact that the rescheduled time of their flying lessons hadn't yet been announced, as she was in no hurry to repeat her fall anytime soon. She hadn't lied when she'd said she wasn't hurt, but the ache in her ribcage that she'd woken up with the next morning had stayed for a good few days before eventually subsiding.

As Halloween approached, most of the school were too preoccupied with being excited for the feast to pay much attention to their schoolwork. This hadn't bothered Professor Binns, as per usual, but many of the other Professors had been forced to hand out more punishments than usual in an attempt to restore order. Ro had been given her first detention by Professor Slughorn when she'd spent the whole of a lesson excitedly telling Poppy about Halloween traditions in the wizarding world, but others such as Professors Dumbledore and Merrythought responded to the excitement by changing the topic of the lessons to reflect the mood. In Transfiguration they'd been given the challenge of Transfiguring various objects into pumpkins, which were later used to decorate the Great Hall, and DADA lessons had been filled with blue flares as the first-years tried out the Knockback Jinx. The thrill of learning their first defensive spell had briefly overridden the Halloween-related anticipation, but by the time October 31st rolled around there was talk of little else.

Even the Slytherins had ceased in the consistent teasing, which, Minerva realised later, they should have been a lot more suspicious about. She had often seen Abraxas sneaking back and forth from the library in the days leading up to Halloween accompanied by one or more of his little gang, and the reason behind this only became apparent on the night itself.

Lessons had finished a little early to give the staff enough time to add the final preparations to the Halloween feast, so Minerva was relaxing in the Gryffindor Common Room with Ro and Lyall. Poppy had left a short while ago to visit the Owlery so she could post a package full of Halloween treats to her family back in London. She had been gone for an unusually long time, and Minerva was about to voice her concern to Ro and Lyall when portrait hole was opened by a very poorly Poppy. Her nose was very red and her eyes slightly puffy, and when she looked at Minerva she promptly let out an enormous sneeze.

"My word, what's happened to you?" Minerva gasped as she dropped the book she'd been reading and sprinted to Poppy's side, catching her as she stumbled through the portrait hole. As Poppy groaned quietly Minerva felt her forehead, and was shocked by the immense amount of heat radiating from her. Wrapping one arm around Poppy's shoulders and holding her shaking hands with her other hand, Minerva slowly guided her over to the seating area where she slumped into a chair by the fire. "You were just fine less than an hour ago!"

Poppy nodded as she sniffed deeply; Minerva thought she looked and sounded absolutely miserable. "Found the Slytherins jus' ou'side th' Ow'ery," she said, her voice muffled as she tried to speak through her stuffy nose, "Used the Curse o' the Bogies on me." She broke off with a hoarse cough, and Minerva instantly felt her concern turn into blood-boiling anger.

"So that's what they've been plotting!" Ro almost snarled, the fury in her tone matching the livid look in her eyes. "I thought something was wrong when they quietened down! I'd like to give them a taste of their own medicine!"

"Agreed," Minerva said grimly as she sat down beside Poppy and rubbed her back soothingly, taking the handkerchief that Lyall handed her and passing it to Poppy. "But first we need to find a counter-curse for this." She gestured Poppy's trembling form as just as sneezed into Lyall's handkerchief. "I'm sure there'll be a book in the library that has the information we need in it."

When Lyall and Ro nodded in approval to her plan, Minerva eased an arm underneath Poppy's shoulder to help her to her feet. She was alarmed by the extent Poppy was leaning into her side, swaying with every step she took, and was very grateful when Ro appeared on the other side to share Poppy's weight with her.

Lyall pushed the portrait hole open and they slowly made their way through the corridors and down the stairs to the library. When they finally reached the library, their plans were dashed upon seeing the large 'CLOSED' sign on the door.

Ro groaned loudly before complaining "I'll bet it's because of the Halloween feast. Now what're we going to go, Pops can't stay like this!"

Minerva went to reply, but fell silent upon hearing noises from the corridor behind them. It sounded to her like something heavy being dragged over carpet, and the regular, heavy breaths that accompanied it made it seem more likely that that was the case. Keeping a tight hold on Poppy, Minerva turned around and had to bite back a surprised laugh at what she saw.

Millicent Bagnold, a Ravenclaw first-year, was indeed dragging something in their direction. But when she turned around to look at the Gryffindors, Minerva saw that it wasn't a thing but instead a person. Septima Vector, another Ravenclaw first-year, was sat in a rather undignified heap on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her and a look in her eyes that suggested she was ready to commit murder.

"What happened to her?" Lyall asked, pointing to Septima.

"I could ask you the same question." Septima said in retalliation, jerking her head in Poppy's direction.

"The Slytherins happened, that's what," Ro grumbled, "Caught Poppy by herself and put the Curse of the Bogies on her." As if to prove a point, Poppy sneezed twice before doubling over in a coughing fit. "We were trying to get into the library to find the counter-curse, but it's closed so we don't-"

"The library's closed?" Millicent groaned, exchanging a horrified look with Septima.

Minerva nodded grimly. "Why did you need to get in there?"

Millicent sighed and bent down to pull Septima to her feet, but the moment she removed her hands from under Septima's arms her knees buckled and she slammed face-first into the floor with a muffled grunt of pain. "Jelly legs curse, the Slytherin's doing. I can only guess that they think this is some sort of hilarious Halloween prank. Our plan was to find a counter-curse that would get Septima walking again, then go and try out the Knockback Jinx on them."

A devilish grin had appeared on Ro's face as Millicent spoke. "Now that sounds to me like a good plan!" she declared.

"But what do we do about Pops and Septima?" Lyall asked, a worried look on his face. "We can't find a counter-curse without the library, and they can't go down to the feast like this."

"We are right here you know, don't talk about us as if we're somewhere else!" Septima snapped.

There was silence for a moment as everyone thought about the best way to go about tackling the Slytherin problem, and eventually Minerva came up with another plan. "Let's take them with us," she said, gesturing with her free arm to both Poppy and Septima which earned her a fierce glare from the latter, "if we're lucky, they'll still have the book with all these curses in and we can find the counter-curse from that. It's not like we can leave them here."

Millicent and Septima both nodded. Lyall stepped forward beside Septima, and together with Millicent they locked their hands to create a seat for her to sit on. Minerva was just beginning to wonder how they would find the Slytherins at the snail-like pace they were travelling at, when an alarmed shout and gloating laugher echoed just ahead of them.

"Quick, don't lose them!" Minerva said urgently, and they ran as fast as they could manage towards the source of the sound. As they rounded the corner Minerva saw that her suspicions had been proven correct- the Slytherins had struck again, and they hadn't yet had time to leave the crimescene.

Millicent and Lyall gently placed Septima down on the floor, and all three drew their wands just as Minerva and Ro did the same. Poppy wriggled out of their arms and Minerva turned her head sharply to watch as she sat heavily down on the floor and out of the way, her nose buried in Lyall's handkerchief.

"Flippendo!" The combined shouts of Millicent, Septima, Lyall, Minerva and Ro rang through the corridor, and the Slytherins turned around just in time to see the blue lights of the Knockback Jinx being shot in their direction. There were angry shouts as Druella, Apollyon and Owle were sent sprawling to the floor, leaving only Abraxas Malfoy still standing.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke!" Ro shouted as she took a menacing step towards Abraxas. She pointed towards a fifth figure standing a few metres behind Abraxas; Minerva recognised him as first-year Huflepuff Alfred Diggory, and by the way he was hopping around awkwardly she guessed that he had been subjected to the Leg-Locker Curse.

"What's the matter, Hooch?" Abraxas asked with a sly smile that made Minerva want to give him a good punch in the face. "Not getting into the spirit of Halloween I see- this is only a bit of harmless fun!"

Ro let out a sound of pure frustration as she brandished her wand again, waving it around and around as she glared at Abraxas. The usual blue tinge that characterised the Knockback Jinx had turned to a strange purple-red colour and then a dark, menacing red by the time Ro screeched out the incantation, and then it was too late for Minerva to warn ger that something had gone wrong. The crimson light travelled backwards down her wand and into her arm; she glowed a faint crimson for a moment before flying backwards and slamming into the floor as if she had hit an invisible force field.

Minerva turned around to go to Ro's aid, but as she did so she saw that there was already a figure by her side. Even with her back to Minerva, she instantly recognised the figure as Professor Merrythought, and as she gently helped a badly winded Ro to her feet there was an uncharacteristic look of anger in her eyes.

"Abraxas Malfoy, what do you think you were playing at?" she shouted angrily, striding past Minerva to look straight into Abraxas' face. "These curses are all far too advanced for a novice like yourself to attempt, you could easily have caused someone serious harm! Slytherin has lost 50 points from your actions, and you and your friends will not be attending the feast tonight! I expect to see you all in my office at 9 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning where we will be discussing your outrageous behaviour, and I can assure you that there will be plenty of detentions to follow! Now get back to your common room before I have to take away even more points!"

There was not a single look exchanged between the Slytherin students and the combined party of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws as Abraxas turned around and strode in the directions of the Slytherin dungeons with Druella, Owle and Apollyon following more slowly.

Professor Merrythought spent a few moments simply glaring at their retreating forms, before she lifted her wand at Alfred Diggory. He sighed in relief as his legs sprang apart, calling out "Thanks Professor!" before running down a different corridor that Minerva assumed led to the Hufflepuff's Common Room.

With Alfred gone, Professor Merrythought at turned her attention to the rest of the students in the corridor. The fury had vanished from her eyes to be replaced with concern as she swept her gaze over Septima and Poppy still sitting on the floor. "Might I ask what curses they used?" she asked somewhat wearily to no-one in particular.

"The Jelly-Legs Curse." Millicent said as she pointed down at Septima, and Professor Merrythought muttered something under her breath as she waved her wand.

"Give that a try my dear, you should be just fine now."

Septima got to her feet slowly, a look of surprise on her face when she remained standing for more than a few seconds. "Thank you Professor," she smiled at her Head of House.

"Now what can I do about you Penelope?" Professor Merrythought asked, and as always it took Minerva a couple of seconds to worked out that she was referring to Poppy.

"It... was the... Bo... Bogies Curse." Ro gasped out, hunched over with her hands on her knees to keep herself steady.

Professor Merrythought nodded and waved her wand again. "That should do the trick, but it might take a few minutes for you to feel the effects. A nasty curse, that one is."

Poppy just nodded blearily as Minerva helped her to her feet. Minerva felt her forehead again, and to her relief the fever had vanished.

"Professor Merrythought," Minerva said, "why did Ro's spell backfire on her like that? It never happened when we learned it in your lesson last week."

Professor Merrythought laughed briefly before she replied. "Rolanda here has just demonstrated something that we won't even be attempting until the second year. By waving her wand more than she needed to she charged the spell, and if used properly it would have hit Mister Malfoy with much more power than normal. But she overcharged it just a little, striking her instead of her target." She turned to look at Ro as she continued. "You might have a tight chest for a little while due to the effect of the spell, but there won't be any lasting side effects."

"Good... t'know." Ro wheezed, giving Professor Merrythought a slightly sarcastic smile.

Professor Merrythought returned Ro's smile before looking around at the students, and Minerva could see the pride clearly in her eyes. "I'm very glad to see you've all been taking your practising seriously; that was some very good wandwork you all demonstrated there. 10 points will be awarded to each of you in a reward for your efforts."

Smiled appeared on everyone's faces when Professor Merrythought spoke, and even Poppy managed to look happy despite the miserable time she'd just endured. "Now, I suggest we all get down to the feast unless we want to miss the beginning!" Professor Merrythought gave them all one last proud look before sweeping down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

As Minerva and the other students followed her, Ro and Poppy fell in step beside her as had become custom in the almost-two months they had been at Hogwarts. Despite the satisfaction that Professor Merrythought's praise had given her, Minerva forced a note of seriousness into her voice as she quietly said "There's one thing I think we can be certain of now. "

"That's twice we've got Abraxas and his cronies into trouble now," Ro continued for her, clearly guessing what she'd been planning on saying, "we need to keep our guard up if we want to make it to Christmas without being hexed into oblivion."

Minerva nodded. "They'll want revenge, and I daresay they'll make sure they get it sooner rather than later."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Looking up all those curses was fun xD_

 _Septima and Millicent are going to remain quite central characters, along with Lyall and someone else introduced next chapter they'll have the same sort of role that Neville, Ginny and Luna had in the books. The main focus is on Poppy, Minerva and Ro, but these four are right behind them all the way._

 _And as always, they're all perfectly canon. Go raid the HP wiki if you're curious._


	5. Behind Enemy Lines

_November 1942_

* * *

In the days that followed Halloween, the Gryffindors were on red alert for a 'Slytherin retaliation', as Ro liked to call it. Thankfully they only had two lessons with the Slytherins each week; Potions and History of Magic. Professor Slughorn's watchful eye prevented any incidents in Potions, but Professor Binns' complete ignorance of anything going on during History of Magic meant the Gryffindors were subjected to paper balls being thrown in their directions from the moment they sat down to the moment they were dismissed. Ro was glad when the Flying Lessons were finally reinstated, and even more so when the Gryffindors now shared the lessons with the Ravenclaws instead of the Slytherins after a few more tense lessons. Now, instead of Abraxas's constant disdainful remarks about her Silver Arrow whenever she took to the skies, she had Millicent and Septima shouting enthusiastic encouragement just as loudly as Poppy and Minerva always did.

However it was in the corridors between lessons that they had to be at their most vigilant. Rather than walking side by side as they used to do, Ro, Poppy and Minerva would often go in a distinct defensive formation with Minerva and Poppy leading the way and Ro walking at the rear, keeping her sharp eyes out for green uniforms sneaking up behind them. There were several times when Ro whipped around to see Abraxas or Druella, who Ro had decided were the ringleaders of their gang, walking a little to intently behind them with Owle and Apollyon usually in tow. Since the Halloween incident, which had landed the Slytherins in a weeks worth of detentions, a challenging glare from yellow eyes was usually enough to send them on their way.

Despite their careful measures, the feeling of uneasiness was still easily detectable whenever the Gryffindors and Slytherins were in the same classroom or corridor. Ro had guessed that there would be another conflict before long, but when things did get physical between the two Houses again the outcome was not one she'd ever have guessed.

A rush of footsteps was heard behind her as the Gryffindors walked towards the door that led to the Greenhouses, and Ro whipped around to see a dark-haired Slytherin girl rushing up behind them while muttering under her breath. She guessed immediately that it was Druella about to perform some kind of hex on them while their backs were turned, so without a second thought Ro jumped forward and pushed her to the ground.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing!" Druella shouted as she was thrown backwards, the books she'd been carrying landing on the floor all around them. Or at least Ro thought it was Druella, until she heard the different voice and saw brown eyes looking up at her as opposed to Druella's icy blue.

"Septima?" Ro heard Poppy ask, and upon looking more closely at the Slytherin on the floor Ro realised that she looked almost exactly like Septima. "Why are you wearing Slytherin robes?"

"Possibly because firstly I'm not Septima, and secondly I'm in Slytherin House." The girl said coldly, pushing Ro away and getting to her feet. "I believe you've mistaken me for my sister."

Ro gave her a confused look as she stood as well, and she could see Poppy and Minerva giving each other equally unsure glances. "Septima has a-"

"Twin sister, yes I do." A voice sounded behind her and Ro turned to see the real Septima stood with Millicent a few meters behind them. "Ro, Poppy, Minerva, I don't think I've had the pleasure of introducing you to Irma yet."

"Blimey, I'm really sorry," Ro apologised hastily to Irma, bending down to pick up the books that she'd knocked flying during her tackle. "You kept that one quiet Septima!"

"Well I don't think you could say we're extremely close." Irma said, glancing at Septima. Now that they stood side by side, Ro was able to see the subtle differences between them; although they both had the same dark brown eyes, Septima was a few inches taller than Irma and had dark brown hair as opposed to Irma's black hair. "Especially now we're in different Houses."

"What do you think of your Housemates?" Ro stood to see Minerva ask Irma the question that she'd been thinking of with a very cautious tone to her voice. Ro's heart was in her throat for a moment as she prepared herself for Irma to start singing the praises of the other Slytherin first-years, but to her relief Irma just rolled her eyes.

"Irritating at least," Irma said, a little shortly, "if I had a knut for every time Druella Rosier complained about you three," she glanced from Minerva to Poppy and then Ro, "I think I could buy the whole of the Leaky Cauldron. Eileen Prince is easier to cope with, but she rarely says a thing in anyone's defence so I'm left to put up with Druella alone." She sighed angrily at that, before looking up at Septima. "I suppose your roommates are so much better?"

Septima shrugged, but it was Millicent who answered. "The first-years are ok, but the second-years are always complaining about each other. There's always one in particular, I think her name is Myrtle Warren, and she's always in the toilets crying. It drives Professor Merrythought up the wall, not to mention our prefects who always have to go and get her. Fillius in fifth-year said once he was going to charm the door to not let her in if she kept doing it."

Poppy made a huffing sound. "Well that's not going to help anyone!"

"So," The tone of Minerva's voice caught Ro's attention, and she turned around to see a thoughtful light in Minerva's green eyes. "You don't agree with what the other Slytherins are doing?"

Irma snorted with what Ro thought was amusement. "Of course not, otherwise I'd have hexed you all a thousand times by now. Not all Slytherins are evil, contrary to popular belief. Even Alphard Black's alright considering who his sister is." Frustrated sighs were heard from everyone at the thought of the fifth-year Slytherin prefect Walburga Black.

Ro looked at Minerva again; there was something about the intense look of concentration she was wearing that made Ro a little nervous. "You've got something on your mind, spill the beans."

Minerva looked at her abruptly, as if she'd forgotten Ro was there. She turned her gaze to Irma before finally saying "Would you consider-"

"Spying?" Irma interrupted, an eyebrow raised. "What a suggestion, worthy of the Slytherins themselves."

Ro bristled at that, taking a step forward out of pure instinct to put an arm in between Minerva and Irma. "Min's a Gryffindor through and through!" She growled, though relaxed a little when Minerva put a hand on her shoulder in silent signal.

"I don't doubt it." Irma conceded, resuming a neutral and almost emotionless expression. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you by saying that I do hold enough loyalty to my House to not agree to that. However, as friends of my sister, I would consider informing you if anyone was planning to send you packing to the Hospital Wing for the foreseeable future. What will I be getting out of this?"

Ro's heart sank; what benefits could they offer in return? "I'll stop tackling you in the corridor?" she said as a joke with a wicked grin written across her face.

Irma looked Ro in the eye for a few moments in silence; now that she'd had time to get a first impression of Irma, Ro couldn't imagine ever getting her and Septima mixed up again. Although they had the same chocolate-brown gaze, Irma's eyes held none of the rich warmth that Septima had and instead held a cold sort of depth. "We shall see." She said, before taking her books from Ro's hands and walking past them and down the corridor. She looked back towards Septima for moment with what Ro thought might have been the beginning of a smile, but was gone around the corner before she could decide for definite.

There was a pause for a moment before Septima muttered "Charming, isn't she?"

Millicent nodded before glancing down at the Muggle watch she always wore around her left wrist. "We're going to be late for Herbology!" she gasped, and as the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had this lesson together they all broke into a run towards Greenhouse One.

Professor Beery had already started the lesson by the time they'd arrived and changed their usual black and house-coloured robes for the beige protective coats always worn in Herbology; he gave them a stern look before making a hurried gesture towards their empty seats. Once they had all sat down, he cleared his throat and continued with his lecture.

"As I was about to say before Miss Hooch and her friends interrupted us,"

Ro groaned inwardly when Professor Beery looked pointedly in her direction; he clearly hadn't forgotten when she'd fallen asleep in the first Herbology lesson of the term.

"I have some exciting news to deliver to you all. The Slytherins and Hufflepuffs in your year are yet to be informed, so I would appreciate you keeping this quiet until their next lesson this afternoon." Professor Beery's face broke into an almost childish smile as he said "I am delighted to announce that Professor Dipper has finally allowed me to stage a Christmas Pantomime at Hogwarts!"

The quiet in the greenhouse instantly broke into hushed whispers. Ro was relieved to hear that she wasn't the only one in the class who was utterly confused, it seemed like several people had no idea what Professor Beery was talking about. It was clear to see that Poppy wasn't one of those people, she was looking at Professor Beery with a look of excitement in her eyes.

"Er, Professor Beery?" A hand shot up in the air, attracting the attention of the rest of the class. "What's a pantomime?"

Professor Beery stayed quiet for a moment, causing the owner of the hand to slowly lower it down to the table. "Mr Inglebee, am I right in assuming you are a pure-blood wizard?"

"That's right Professor, not one Muggleborn in our family for as long as anyone remembers."

"That's not something to be proud of, Inglebee!" Professor Beery said a little snappishly. "Now, a pantomime is a show put on around Christmastime, it is a fantastic way for people to demonstrate their performing abilities. My Muggle brother informed me that pantomimes have become very popular with children of your ages recently, and I thought that it would be a pleasant reminder of home for the first-year students if we were to stage one here at Hogwarts. The pantomime we will be staging is a story I'm sure you will all know well unless you come from a Muggle family; The Fountain of Fair Fortune."

"Isn't that one of Beedle the Bard's stories, Professor?"

"Correct Miss Stretton! There are four main parts to this play, and one of these will be given to a first year student from each of the four houses to represent unity by means of the performing arts. You will all find audition details on your House notice boards by tomorrow morning, but for the time being we must turn our attention back to the Puffapods!"

Talk of the pantomime continued even while the first-years pruned their Puffapods, but stopped abruptly as per Professor Beery's orders when the Herbology lesson ended. Audition sheets appeared on the Gryffindor notice board with dates and times to meet in the Great Hall, but as Ro had never enjoyed speaking publicly she didn't pay the pantomime much attention.

It wasn't until a Saturday morning near the end of November that Ro heard in great detail about the pantomime again. Ro had been lying on her front on her bed working on the Charms essay they had been set the previous day when Poppy rushed into the dormitory, clutching a sheet of parchment and grinning wildly.

"Anyone would guess Christmas has come early looking at you," Minerva observed from where she sat on her bed, propped up against her pillow as her quill worked furiously on her own essay.

"Yeah, what's got you so happy?" Ro asked, abandoning her work as she propped herself up on her elbows to see Poppy more clearly.

Poppy's grin widened before she said "I never told you that I auditioned for the pantomime, but I did and I've been given a part!"

Ro knew her smile must have matched Poppy's as she rolled off the bed and gave Poppy a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!" she said excitedly as she released her, "that's amazing!"

"I never knew you liked performing," Minerva put her book and quill down, standing up beside Poppy and Ro with a happy look on her face.

Poppy laughed slightly sheepishly. "I didn't want everyone to know. I always liked it when I was an evacuee, but I don't think many other people liked me liking it. I love singing best of all, but apparently I can't sing for toffee."

"Is there any singing in the part you've got in the pantomime?" Ro heard Minerva ask- she was laughing too hard to make herself understandable.

"Thankfully not," Poppy giggled, "I'm playing Amata, the witch who was deserted by her lover and ends up marrying the hopeless Sir Luckless. He's being played by William Tonks from Hufflepuff."

"Who else has got parts?" Ro regained enough composure to ask, taking the sheet of parchment from Poppy's hands. "Millicent's playing Altheda, and Asha's being played by..." Her face fell as she read the name, her excitement vanishing instantly to be replaced by a strong feeling of concern. "Pops, have you read this sheet yet?"

"Not other than my name, why, who's playing... oh." Poppy broke off quietly as she leaned forward to read the rest of the cast list.

There was silence in the dormitory for a moment as Minerva looked too. "Druella Rosier." Minerva eventually said in a troubled voice. "Without wanting to worry you, I would go in there expecting the worst to happen."

"Hang on just a minute," Ro pushed the parchment back into Poppy's hands before skirting around her bed and sitting down on the floor. She opened the cabinet door of her bedside table and pulled out all her textbooks, her hand finally resting on the book right at the back. Pulling it out and brushing the layer of dust from the cover, she held it up to Poppy and Minerva as she stood up.

"Tavin, one of my brothers, gave this to me. It's an O.W.L level D.A.D.A textbook that he was given in fifth year, so some of the stuff will probably be a bit advanced for us." She explained as Minerva and Poppy opened it up and looked through the first few pages.

"You're not wrong, this has even got the patronus charm in it!" Minerva's eyes were wide as she leafed through the pages.

"My point is, remembering what happened on Halloween, Druella's bound to try and pull some kind of trick during that Pantomime. We can't stop that, but with luck we'll have Irma keeping us informed."

As she spoke, Poppy and Minerva both looked up at her with identical smiles that told her they had a good idea of what she was planning.

"When Druella strikes," Ro brought the edge of one hand down to meet the palm of the other in a sharp movement, "Poppy'll be able to give her a real run for her money."

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
And the last character main character is introduced! For anyone who hasn't worked it out, Irma Vector will marry later in life and become Madam Irma Pince, the feared librarian of Hogwarts. I thought having her as Septima's twin would be fun and a little different, as the other sets of twins seen in HP have all been pretty close (the Weasleys and Patils)._

 _The pantomime is canon, I came across it on the HP wiki and thought it too good not to include xD If you don't want it the next chapter to be spoiled for you then I'd avoid the wiki until it's posted, as I'm following the canonical events pretty closely._


	6. On with the Show

_December 1942_

* * *

The Gryffindor Common Room looked as though a hurricane had swept through it. The curtains were hanging slightly askew, the cushions from the chairs had been thrown into a messy pile on the floor and there was a fine dusting of fireplace soot covering nearly everything.

Standing a little while away from the cushion pile was the main reason for the mess. Her wand was drawn and pointed at Ro, who stood just in front of the cushion pile with her arms spread wide.

"Are you ready?" Poppy asked, already feeling a little guilty over what she was about to do.

Ro nodded, a wicked grin on her face and mirrored in her eyes. "Hit me with your best shot!" she teased.

"Tarantallegra!" Poppy shouted, laughing involuntarily when Ro broke into a wild dance.

She stopped after a few moments as Minerva's voice spoke the counter-curse from where she sat in a chair to Poppy's left, poring over the book that Ro had found from her brother.

Ro straightened her uniform before turning to face Poppy again as she asked "Next?"

Poppy raised her wand again. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Ro's outstretched arms clamped to her sides and her face froze in a neutral expression, toppling backwards to land with a soft thud on the well placed cushions. After a wave of Minerva's wand she was back on her feet again, encouraging Poppy to try the next spell.

After a few rounds of the knockback jinx, followed by Expelliarmus, a very tired looking Ro raised her hands in defeat. "Crikey Pops, you've killed me!" she declared dramatically, falling back onto the cushions.

Poppy glanced back at Minerva, who was still copying out various incantations frantically from the book. She looked back at Ro for a moment with a barely suppressed smile, before lifting her wand in Minerva's direction. "Expelliarmus!" she whispered three times.

The look on Minerva's face changed instantly from concentration to confusion as the book flew out of her hand, followed by her quill and then the parchment. Another Expelliarmus caused the empty-handed Minerva's glasses to fly off her face, hitting the wall and snapping across one of the hinges. Minerva looked around for a moment, before her green gaze came to rest upon Poppy. "I should have guessed," she laughed dryly, getting to her feet and walking in the direction of her broken glasses.

"I'm really sorry," Poppy said as she followed, wringing her hands a little.

"Not to worry, I got this," Ro assured her, lifting her own wand. "Oculus Reparo!" she said clearly, and Poppy breathed a sigh of relief as the arm reattatched itself to the main body of the glasses.

Her relief faded, however, when Minerva turned to her with a mischevious glint in her eyes. "Now how do I get my revenge for that?" she asked playfully.

With a smile that almost matched Ro's in its cheekiness, Poppy shouted "Rictumsempra!" before Minerva could even draw her own wand. Minerva crumpled to the floor with the force of the Tickling Curse, her hands wrapped around her middle and laughing uncontrollably until tears streamed down her face.

Ro and Poppy couldn't help laughing too, finding the image of their usually serious friend crying with laughter on the floor too much to cope with. It was a little while before Poppy regained enough composure to perform the counter curse, letting Minerva climb back to her feet and straighten her glasses.

The creak of the portrait hole being opened behind them made all three turn around with a start; out of pure instinct and not seeing who was entering the common room, Poppy lifted her wand with a flash and said "Colloshoo!"

The newcomers turned out to be Lyall Lupin and Hector Bones, who stopped instantly as if they'd been glued to the floor. As they collapsed in a heap of tangled limbs, all five first-years couldn't help but dissolve into giggles for the second time.

"I hope one of you knows the counter-curse for this!" Lyall said after a short while, "I really don't want to have to leave my shoes here and go to the Great Hall for dinner in just my socks!"

"Although that would be funny, I can help you out there." Minerva said with only a slight tone of resignation, using her wand to unstick Lyall and Hector's shoes from the floor.

"Thanks, Minerva, " Hector said with relief, hopping from foot to foot as if to make sure his feet were properly removed from the floor. "That was really great Poppy, where did you learn to do that?"

Poppy giggled a little embarrassedly. "We found the curse in a book belonging to Ro's older brother, and we taught it to ourselves."

"Defense in preparation for the pantomime?" Lyall asked.

Ro nodded. "And unless I'm completely wrong, I'd say we're pretty much done."

"I agree." Minerva nodded with a smile. "But we need to get this cleared up before one of the prefects gets back. I reckon Fleamont or Augusta would have all the points in the Gryffindor hourglass taken if they saw the room looking like this."

"It's like someone's let a hippogriff in," Hector agreed with a short laugh. "We'll give you a hand, though I don't suppose any of you know any cleaning spells?"

There were head-shakes from everyone in the room. "One thing I need to remember to learn at some point," Ro said, "that way I'll never have to clean my bit of the dormitory again."

"Good old fashioned elbow grease it is then!" Poppy declared, rolling up her sleeves and making a start on the cushion pile.

Since deciding to master a few of the defence techniques in the book belonging to Tavin Hooch, Poppy was feeling a great deal more confident about sharing the stage with Druella Rosier. The first few rehersals had been nothing short of a disaster, with spells flying across the Great Hall whenever Professor Beery's back was turned. Both Poppy and Millicent had returned to lessons afterwards a few times at least with pimples covering their arms and faces; Druella had recently learned the pimple jinx and had shown quickly that she wasn't afraid to use it.

But as November rolled into December and Christmas trees started arriving from the Forbidden Forest, Poppy's own skillset grew and grew. She proved time and time again that she could disarm, knockback, and full body bind, could turn legs to jelly and send her friends dancing around the room for as long as she pleased. All she had left to hope was that she wouldn't need to rely on those spells once on the stage.

There had been weekly rehersals with Professor Beery for Poppy, Millicent, William and Druella, and it would be fair to say they hadn't gone very well. Their first problem had been finding a creature to play the role of the blind, bloated worm that the characters encountered, as Professor Dippet had been reluctant to use any of the strange ideas supplied by the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Kettleburn. Eventually they had settled on an Ashwinder that had been enlarged using the Engorgio charm, but Professor Beery could frequently be heard to complain about how reckless Professor Kettleburn's ideas usually were.

Although the cast had all settled into their characters and learned their lines relatively easily, the experience had done nothing to warm the relationship between the four of them. Poppy had grown used to having her Muggleborn heritage brought up by Druella at every opportunity, and Millicent still regarded her with a frosty attitude after the events of Halloween. Even William had picked up on the dislike for Druella before long, though usually kept out of any arguments. Neither side had ever resorted to using wands while they argued, but Poppy couldn't help thinking that Druella was saving that trick until they got on stage.

Irma had kept to her agreement; a couple of days before the pantomime she'd shoved a book into Poppy's hands as they passed each other in a corridor. Once back in her dormitory, Poppy had opened the book to see a small piece of parchment float out onto the floor. The message was short and simple, but easy enough to guess the deeper meaning of: "Take your wand. IV."

Poppy took her advice and found a way of concealing her wand in the sleeve of her costume. But during the first few scenes of the pantomime, she started to think that her training hadn't been necessary and that she'd been silly to worry. However, she'd been quickly proven wrong.

"Come on, Sir Luckless, you shouldn't be so hasty to abandon our quest!" Poppy said, addressing William on stage as her character.

William shook his head stubbornly "But I am nothing more than a mere knight! I would only be a burden to you." Out the corner of her eye, Poppy thought she saw Druella shake her wrist behind her back and mutter something, but she had no time to think about what Druella could be doing.

Turning her full attention back to William, Poppy started to speak the next line. "Of course y-" she gagged slightly, feeling as though there was something blocking her throat, but forced herself to carry on. "Ye wad mi a groot hulp!" She wrapped her hands around her throat as her words came out in an incoherent mess, feeling her cheeks redden as laugher sounded in the audience.

"Poppy, you're ruining the play!" came Druella's shrill voice, and a few people in the audience shouted agreement.

As despair suddenly crept up on her, Poppy turned her head to look out into the audience towards the Gryffindor table where Minerva and Ro were on their feet and rushing towards the edge of the stage. Even from the distance she stood at, Poppy could see the concern written across their faces, but that was banished from her mind when Druella drew her hand from behind her back and waved it towards Poppy. She realised instantly what had happened; Druella had used the Tongue-Tying Spell to bind her tongue and prevent her from speaking properly.

A collective gasp of horror was heard from all around the room as Druella shouted "Everte Statum!" and an orange light burst from her wand. Poppy was thrown in the air and flipped around twice before crashing hard onto the stage, screaming as intense pain swept through her body.

Fighting through the agony that thankfully subsided within a few moments, Poppy staggered to her feet and pulled her own wand from out of her sleeve. "Rictumsempra!" she gasped, grateful to find she now had full control of her tongue. A silver stream of light hit Druella right in the stomach, and with a feeling of satisfaction Poppy watched as she sunk to her knees and laughed uncontrollably.

It was only when she looked up that Poppy realised that the entirety of the audience was now standing in a half-circle around the stage. Teachers were trying to push through the crowd of students with limited success, Minerva and Ro were calling encouragements, and there was a shout of "Who taught the mudblood to use magic like that!" from the Slytherin side of the Hall. A pale flash of light accompanied the outraged cry, which Poppy only recognised as the counter-curse when Druella was able to reach for her wand again.

Poppy reached first, lifting her wand with a whisper of "Mimblewimble." She'd kept quiet in the hope that Druella wouldn't hear her, and sure enough a look of utmost shock appeared on her face when the words "Angergia Skillas!" flew from her mouth.

Despite the incantation being said improperly, a green light still appeared from Druella's wand and shot towards Poppy. She threw herself to the floor just in time for the spell to fly over her head and hit Professor Beery full on in the face, causing his head to glow an eerie lime colour and his eyes to look as if they were about to bulge out of their sockets.

All attention was immediately diverted from the duelling students to Professor Beery; the rest of the audience parted instantly as Professor Dippet stormed through the crowd followed closely by the matron, Madam Quinine. Even Poppy was focused solely on the now- swelling head of the Herbology Teacher, until there was a slashing sound behind her and a few of her blonde curls dropped to the floor.

There was a truly evil glint in Druella's eye as she thrashed her wand and said "Deffindo!" again, and Poppy cried out as white hot pain shot across her wand arm. Druella's Severing Charm has created a rip in her costume and a long wound in the skin underneath, from which blood was rapidly pooling out of. Before she could react, another slash appeared in the hem of her dress, and then part of the sleeve fell off as Druella repeated the charm for the third time.

Desparation lending her energy, Poppy raised her wand and screamed "Expelliarmus!" Druella's wand flew from her hand to land behind one of the bush props, and seconds later the bush had disintegrated in a small, ashy explosion.

A confused silence settled over the Hall, everyone's eyes captivated by the smouldering pile of embers that had been a plant mere seconds ago. Poppy was frantically trying to think of a time when the Disarming Spell had ever caused an explosion, when the terrified voice of Professor Kettleburn sounded from near the back of the crowd.

"The Ashwinder has laid its eggs! Everyone run, run for your lives!"

From Poppy's perspective, everything started happening in slow motion. Most of the students in the audience heartily took Professor Kettleburn's advice and started sprinting for the door. Minerva, Ro and Septima were trying to push their way towards the stage, ignoring Professor Merrythought's voice telling them to turn around and evacuate with everyone else. Professor Beery was still emitting low moans from somewhere behind her, and Matron Quinine was muttering furiously what she assumed were various counter-curses. Professor Dippet and Professor Kettleburn were shouting conflicting instructions which were being ignored by everyone in the room, and Professor Dumbledore was striding up the stairs and onto the stage with a rare look of alarm in his usually peaceful eyes.

That was when it happened.

The props surrounding the embers burst into flames, igniting everything around them including the floorboards themselves Waves of fire started spreading quickly in Poppy's direction, but in her terror she couldn't think fast enough to make herself run. It was only when she felt William and Druella rushing past either side of her and Millicent grab her wrist that she started moving, refusing to look back at stage behind them that was blasting heat and sparks into the hall.

They had barely cleared the stage when an explosion shook the Hall, sending rubble and smouldering timber shooting into the air. Poppy saw the terrified faces of Minerva and Ro and heard several people scream, before everything dissolved into darkness.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Yes, the incident during the pantomime is pretty much canon! I took a few liberties in the spells used, but all of them are first/second-year appropriate. The duel did occur by the two girls who played Asha and Amata, Professor Beery was caught in the crossfire and his head enlarged, and an explosion was triggered by the Ashwinder laying eggs._

 _Going by a few events in the books, I'm guessing that if an incantation is said improperly then the spell will be cast wrongly, which is why Druella saying the enlargement charm wrong caused Beery's head to do something very strange._


	7. An Unexpected Christmas

_December 1942_

* * *

The sight of the Great Hall exploding in a blast of fire and rubble was one that Minerva knew she wouldn't be forgetting in a hurry. Her heart had been beating so fiercely she was convinced the rest of the Hall's inhabitants could hear it as her eyes locked with Poppy's, before she was blown backwards by the force of the explosion. The rising cloud of dust and smoke leaving her blinded, it was by sound and touch alone that she found her glasses just behind her and another girl just next to them. Fear rose within her as it dawned on her that Poppy and Millicent would have taken the brunt of the blast, but as she tried to find her feet she could suddenly see again.

Professor Dumbledore was stood a few strides in front of them, brushing his wand upwards as if he was physically lifting the dust away. Wiping her glasses clean and putting them back on, Minerva was relieved to see that the girl behind her was Septima and Ro was standing on Minerva's other side. Both appeared unharmed other than the coughs racking Septima's frame, but before she could react Irma had rushed over to firmly rub her sister's back.

When Ro pulled her to her feet, Minerva's first thought was Poppy. She had lost sight of both her and Millicent when the stage exploded behind them, but now the smoke in the Hall had been cleared her main priority was to find them again. There were surprisingly few people remaining in the Hall- she guessed that nearly everyone had evacuated when the fire started- but that only made it easier to work out where and how injured people were.

Professor Aurelius, the Charms teacher, was bending over William Tonks and waving her wand slowly over his unmoving form. Professor Slughorn was performing a similar spell on Druella Rosier, but the difference here was that Druella was awake and emitting a high-pitched wail as she clutched the singed arm of her robe. Professor Kettleburn was stirring from where he lay half-buried beneath a heap of rubble that the Arithmancy teacher Professor Epsilon was levitating slowly off of him. Professor Dippet and Madame Quinine were both still with Professor Beery, who's head had grown to an alarming shape and size.

Near the centre of the Hall, Professor Merrythought had her back to Minerva and was shielding something from view which looked worryingly like the bodies of two people. Minerva tugged Ro's arm and together they crossed the Hall to join her, Minerva having to lean heavily on Ro due to her foot complaining painfully the moment she tried to put weight on it.

Professor Merrythought looked up as Minerva and Ro crouched down next to her. "They'll both be fine, girls, but-" she broke off with a sputter as started coughing harshly, before continuing in a strained voice "it'll be a while before they're out of the hospital wing."

In Minerva's opinion, Poppy and Millicent didn't look very fine. Neither were awake, but Professor Merrythought had managed to turn them over so they were lying on their backs. Both had grazes on their hands from where they had hit the floor, there were shallow gashes on the faces and the whole of Millicent's left sleeve had been burned away to reveal raw skin.

Madame Quinine came hurrying over and ushered Minerva, Ro and Professor Merrythought away before conjuring a pair of stretchers that she levitated Poppy and Millicent onto. The stretchers lifted into the air and cruised slowly out the door, followed by several others bearing the most injured casualties.

With the combined injuries of students and staff, the Hospital Wing was very full after the incident. As it was only a day before the Hogwarts Express was due to arrive to take the children going home for the holidays back to Kings Cross, Professor Dippet decided that they would all be sent home early due to the steep drop in available teachers. This left only a handful of people left in Hogwarts; the only students remaining were those directly involved in the pantomime incident- Minerva, Ro, Poppy, Millicent, Septima, Irma, Druella, and William- with the addition of Gryffindor third-year Reubus Hagrid, and Slytherin sixth-year.

Although the injuries sustained had been serious, especially for the cast of the pantomime who had been closest to the explosion, none of them had proved fatal. Millicent and Druella had both been badly burnt by the flames, William had broken a leg and Poppy had sustained a concussion from the force of hitting the floor, and it was a testament to Madame Quinine's healing skills that all four were conscious and significantly better within a week of the incident. Nearly everyone involved had been left with a throaty cough from inhaling the smoke, with Septima and Professor Merrythought the worst, though it was nothing that a large dose of Throat-Soothing potion couldn't solve quickly. Ro and Irma had managed to escape unscathed, and Minerva's jarred ankle hadn't given her trouble for more than a few days.

Except for Professor Dippet, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Aurelius and Madame Quinine, all the uninjured teachers had departed along with the majority of the students. Professor Beery and Professor Kettleburn were still confined to their beds, Beery with his head still grossly unproportional to the rest of his body and Kettleburn with one less limb than the three he'd previously had left due to one leg getting trapped underneath the rubble. The Divination teacher, Professor Olwen, had also been hit by the rocks that the explosion had sent flying in all directions and sustained a nasty head wound, but with the aid of plenty of the Wound-Healing potion Dittany and a Blood-Replenishing Potion she'd recovered quickly.

By the time Christmas Day rolled around, Madame Quinine determined that everyone was had recovered enough to put on a half-decent celebration. The uninjured had been invited to sleep in the Hospital Wing as she'd forbidden anyone to leave the Hospital Wing, and the beds had been pushed together into a giant square so they could all celebrate together. Hagrid had managed to drag one of the slightly smaller Christmas Trees from the Great Hall into the Hospital Wing which Professor Dippet decorated with twinkling silver and gold lights, and Professor Dumbledore used a summoning charm to bring all the presents within the castle to lie beneath the tree.

When she awoke on Christmas Morning surrounded by the still-sleeping forms of her friends and professors, Minerva thought it all looked quite festive. The only other person awake was Professor Kettleburn, who gave her a wave and mouthed 'Merry Christmas!' from across the sea of mattresses.

Careful not to disturb anyone, Minerva scooted across to sit next to him, appreciating the idea of some company while everyone else slept on. "Merry Christmas to you, Professor." She whispered with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss McGonagall." Professor Kettleburn said with a smile. "How've you been doing, I haven't seen much of anyone for the past week!"

"Much better, thank you."

"Good to hear. Can't say the same about myself, you'd think that having already lost a limb I'd be more careful with the other ones!" He paused to chuckle, motioning to the stump that was all that remained of his right arm. "Lost that to a Hipogriff when I was a young'un. Mighty teeth they've got, sliced it straight off before I could move an inch. Professor Dippet's put me on probation too, though I'll admit that enlarged Ashwinder wasn't one of my better ideas."

Privately Minerva had to agree with him on that point, though she frowned at the thought of him being placed on probation. In the short time she'd known him, Professor Kettleburn had always seemed like a person with good intentions, just reckless ideas.

Professer Kettleburn must have noticed her concern, as he laughed again and patted her on the shoulder. "I shouldn't worry, this is already the fourteenth time Professor Dippet has put me on probation and I doubt it will be the last before I'm done!" he confided, giving her a mischievous wink.

"Good morning, Professor Kettleburn." Sounded a new voice, and Minerva turned to see an older boy sitting on a chair next to the group of beds. He looked at her next, and she couldn't help noticing the absence of any emotion in his eyes. It unnerved her a little, but she managed to give him what she hoped was a friendly smile. "I don't believe we've met?"

It took Minerva a second or two to realise he was talking to her. "Oh, no I don't think so. It's Minerva McGonagall."

"Tom Riddle." Tom stretched his hand out in her direction, and she shook it out of politeness more than willingness.

"And a good morning to you too, Mr Riddle," Professor Kettleburn said brightly, before pulling a worried face as he realised he'd spoken rather loudly.

There was a muffled groan from a few feet away, as Professor Aurelius lifted her head and gave them an irritated look. "Silvanus, will you please go back to sleep!"

Professor Kettleburn laughed merrily, earning him an even dirtier glare from Professor Aurelius. "My dear Edith, surely even you can appreciate the joys of Christmas more than your need for sleep once in your life?" Professor Aurelius ignored his cheerful smile and turned over to face the other way.

"Professor Aurelius and I were both students here together," Professor Kettleburn explained to Minerva and Tom, "and as we were both in the same House, she had to cope with me waking everyone in the Hufflepuff dormitories every Christmas without fail. I think she was rather glad when I graduated and left her two years of peaceful Christmas mornings, isn't that right Edith?"

No reply came from Professor Aurelius, she just muttered something under her breath and carried on pretending to be asleep. The exchange had woken Hagrid though, who jumped to his feet causing all the beds to rattle and shouted "HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!"

There was no hope of anyone getting any more sleep after Hagrid's wake-up call; even Professor Aurelius put a smile on her face as Professor Dumbledore started to levitate presents over to their receivers and Madame Quinine handed out bowls of porridge.

Minerva returned to her bed beside where Poppy and Ro were seated. Ro had a few smaller presents in front of her, presumably one from each of her siblings, and Poppy had a couple of square parcels sat on her lap. As Minerva sat down Ro passed her a long, thin parcel wrapped in brown paper with a card taped to the top.

Professor Dippet cleared his throat loudly, and everyone turned to look at where he stood at the head of the beds. "Well, everybody, I don't think any of us imagined spending Christmas Day in quite this way," he sent a pointed look in Professor Beery's direction, who responded by merely rolling his eyes, "but regardless of the past incidents, I'm sure we will all have a festive day. I believe Professor Dumbledore would like to add something?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded, stepping forward to stand beside the Headmaster. "Before we begin opening our gifts, I would only like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you, Professor Dippet."

Laughter followed Professor Dumbledore's words, before the present opening began. Ro looked about to tear into her presents when Professor Dippet started dictating who would open their presents first- she leaned towards Minerva and whispered "This is weird, at home it's pretty much a free-for all!" as they watched Professor Dippet start on his presents.

It was a slow and painstaking process to begin with, as most of the teachers opened their gifts while keeping the wrapping paper entirely intact then proceeded to profusely thank the person who had given the gift if they were in the room. Professor Aurelius made things a little more interesting by charming her presents to open themselves, much to the enthrallment of all the first-years, and using her first present of a crystal ball Professor Olwen was able to successfully predict what the rest of her parcels contained.

Every single member of staff received a pair of knitted socks with little symbols that represented the receiver (Professor Beery's socks had little plants on, Professor Aurelius had tiny wands and Professor Olwen had miniature teacups on hers); Minerva was wondering which teacher had given the socks when the answer became very clear indeed. Every single one of Professor Merrythought's presents contained a ball of wool, each in a different colour.

She was grinning like a child when she explained "I've always been very fond of knitting, so every Christmas since I joined Hogwarts I've gifted my colleagues with a pair of home-knitted socks."

"Which has been most useful," added Professor Dumbledore as he pulled on his socks that were covered in little wizard hats exactly matching his own, "one can never have too many pairs of socks!"

Professor Merrythought smiled widely in agreement. "What I always say too. So to keep my wool stocks in full supply, everyone likes to give me wool for Christmas gifts. A win-win situation, we all agreed."

Professor Merrythought was the last of the staff to open their presents; both Hagrid and Tom were given a selection of Honeydukes sweets from Professor Dippet due to having no family to send them gifts, then it was the turn of the first-years to tackle their presents.

Ro wasted no time in tearing into her parcels, laying the items out in front of her as she unwrapped them. There was a sneakoscope from her eldest brother Kurtis, the second brother Mallory had given her a rather-dull looking book, her only sister Erika had sent her a pair of Omnioculars and from the youngest brother Tavin came a pair of goggles. Tucked in with the goggles was a note that read 'For use in your secret Quidditch career', and it was no surprise to Minerva that the goggles provided the most excitement by far.

"They're just like the ones that the Montrose Magpies all have!" Ro said excitedly, wasting no time in placing them over her eyes and pulling the strap over her hair. "Go on Pops, let's see what you've got."

Poppy eagerly pulled the paper off three books wrapped up together, followed by a much thicker volume in its own parcel. A grin lit her face as she read the titles, holding a book in each hand as if she couldn't decide which one to look at first. "These are the Muggle stories I asked for," she said happily as Minerva leaned over to read the titles. The one she was holding was _The Call of the Wild_ , and piled on her lap were _Pippi Longstockings_ and _Animal Farm_. In her other hand was the much longer _Healing at Home with Herbs_ , which she waved around as she said "And this one I chose when in Diagon Alley back in the summer."

"It's a very good book," Professor Beery attempted to nod his head in a display of approval.

"Do you never stop reading?" Ro asked in amazement as she stared at the huge books, before turning to Minerva and adding "That goes for you too, at least we can all tell there aren't any books in that package you've got!"

Minerva laughed at her comment, thinking of the bookcase in their dormitory that was all but bursting from the amount of books that Poppy and Minerva possessed between them. Her attention then turned to her own present, she had to agree with Ro's comment that there was no way it could contain any books. It was entirely the wrong shape; long and thin but widening at one end. She peeled the card away from the paper and read aloud:

 _Dearest Minerva, I do hope you are having a wonderful Christmas with your friends. This parcel includes something that I have been looking forward to purchase for you ever since you were born, and it is with great joy that I ask you to use it to it's greatest extend. While you are celebrating, please remember to say your Christmas prayers. All our love, Mother and Father._

"Intriguing," Ro commented, looking at the parcel with great scrutiny. "Come on then, you've got us all hooked."

Despite Ro's intense watching of Minerva as she unwrapped her gift, she was insistent on taking her time in opening it. That was until a polished wooden handle poked through the end of the paper; in one motion she had whipped the rest of the paper off to reveal a broomstick.

"That's a Comet 180, they've only just been released!" Ro grinned at Minerva after a long while of simply staring at the broomstick.

"Gryffindor will have a splendid Quidditch team next year if both of you are playing." Professor Olwen said with a smile. When both Minerva and Ro gave her confused looks, she chuckled and said "I played for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team myself not too long ago, so I always like to see promising players wearing the red robes."

"You were our star Chaser," Professor Dumbledore commented fondly, and upon looking between Dumbledore and Olwen, Minerva couldn't decide whether he meant that he had been a young teacher or fellow student while Professor Olwen was playing Quidditch. "Miss Rosier, I should be careful unless you intend on catching a fly this morning."

All eyes turned to Druella, who shut her previously gaping mouth with a sharp clanking sound and turned to look in the opposite direction of Minerva and her broom.

As she watched Druella with the hint of a satisfied smile on her face, Minerva couldn't help wishing that the Gryffindors and Slytherins did still have flying lessons together. She was looking forward to seeing the Slytherins' reactions to her soaring around the castle on a broom far better than even the one belonging to Abraxas Malfoy.

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
This was a fun chapter c:_

 _The Professors of Charms, Divination and Arithmancy are all of my own invention, as is Madame Quinine. Edith Aurelius is about the same age as Professor Kettleburn and hasn't been teaching Charms for very long, Phyllis Olwen is a very skilled Seer who is admired and respected by the truth of her predictions, and Walter Epsilon isn't quite as fleshed out yet. All will make more appearances as the story progresses._

 _Professor Merrythought's knitting obsession is one of my favourite headcanons that's come out of this story so far._

 _Special thanks to Iris Stardust, who pointed out my mistake regarding Tom Riddle's age. It's now been edited to fit with canon._


	8. Scared Stiff

_January 1943_

* * *

Even after the New Year rolled around and term started again, things took quite a long time to return to normal. The Great Hall still stank strongly of smoked wood when they entered it for the first time since the pantomime, and for most of the Start of Term Feast Ro kept the sleeve of her robe covering her nose. Despite the repair work that had been carried out, there were still obvious chunks missing from the walls and ceiling so the image of the sky charmed onto the ceiling had bits of real sky poking through. Most of the candles were greatly misshapen, and the Hogwarts banners were still singed.

Curious as to why the Repairing Charms hadn't worked, Ro had sought out Professor Kettleburn after the Feast and he'd explained that as Ashwinders were very powerful magical creatures, damage caused by their flames took a long time to mend. That, he explained, was why his missing leg couldn't be grown back as it had been touched by the Ashwinder's flames, and why Millicent and Druella's burns were still unhealed. Millicent's arm was still encased in a sling and Druella's hand was in bandages, but William's leg had been completely healed and Poppy was as right as rain.

Due to a complication with his magically disfigured head late in the Christmas Holiday, Professor Beery had been taken to St Mungo's for an indefined period of time until his head had fully returned to normal. Herbology lessons were now taught by Professor Ainsley, a elderly man with a shock of white hair who many were sure had lost his mind, as he spent most of the first-years' lessons talking to the plants and completely ignoring the students.

Despite the few abnormalities, everything else was able to continue as normal. Ro and Minerva both put their new Christmas presents to great use on the Quidditch pitch; they had vowed that they would both make the Gryffindor Quidditch team in their second year and were practising on their broomsticks at least once a week. It became clear very quickly that Minerva's Comet 180 was one of the best brooms on the market, as she could outstrip nearly everyone else in their Flying lessons and perform the techniques with ease. Although she spend a lot of time admiring Minerva's broom, Ro never once wished she could replace her Silver Arrow; Poppy said to her on many occasions that from where she always sat reading in the stands, Ro's broom and goggles made her look like a proper Quidditch player.

The first Quidditch Match of the new term took place in early February, where Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff in a very close and tense game. With the aid of the Omnioculars, Ro was able to see every technique that either team used and replay it for Poppy and Minerva to see too. But the celebratory party held in the Gryffindor Common Room after the match was brought to an abrupt halt when it was realised that one of the Beaters, Ernest Lawrence, was missing.

"Can anyone remember seeing Ernest last?" The Team Captain, Marilyn Douglas, called out above the anxious murmurs.

"He came down to the kitchens with me 'n' Larry to get food earlier." Shirley Miller said, and Larry Spencer-Moon nodded from where he stood next to her. Both were second-years just like Ernest, and were looking understandably worried.

Edgar Maurice, one of the seventh year prefects, climbed up to stand on the arm of one of the armchairs and whistled loudly. "Alright Lions, listen up. I can't imagine anything unpleasant could have happened to Ernest, but we need to find him to make sure. Prefects, I want you to take a couple of people with you to search the corridors. We'll meet here at 6pm."

The Common Room burst into activity as the six prefects organised the students into search parties. Edgar left almost immediately with Shirley and Larry behind him, and fifth-year Fleamont Potter not long after with third-years Judy Gilbert, Bertha Taylor and Nancy Campbell. Dodging past Lester Longbottom and his party, Ro bumped into Augusta Brown who instantly pointed at Ro and said "You, Poppy and Minerva can come with me."

Ro was given no time to protest as Augusta literally rounded up Poppy and Minerva and marched them out of the portrait hole. The back of Edgar's group could be seen disappearing round a corner down the corridor on seventh floor, Fleamont had taken the stairs down to the sixth floor and they could hear Lester telling his group they'd be heading for the fifth floor, so Augusta led them down several staircases until they reached the fourth floor of the castle.

"I can't see why he'd be in the library, so we'll check that last." Augusta said as they passed the huge double doors into the library, stopping just in front of the History of Magic classroom. "We'll need to split up here, but only for a few minutes. Ro can come with me to look in here, Poppa and Minerva I want you to check the Magical Theory classroom. Meet us outside the library in five minutes."

Without another word, Augusta took Ro's arm and led her into the History of Magic classroom. It didn't look like anyone had been in there; the room was exactly how Ro had left it a few hours earlier when she'd had History of Magic that morning. The globe on Professor Binns' desk was still displaying Russia, where the first-years had been learning about the Soap Blizzard of 1378, making it almost guaranteed that no-one had been in the room since classes had been dismissed before the Quidditch match.

Ro was about to suggest they try a different classroom when a meowing sound caught her attention. She took a few steps towards the door in hope of finding the cat that caused the noise, when Augusta grabbed Ro's wrist again and dragged her behind a desk.

Ro was about to voice her protest when Augusta shhh'd in her ear, and they both peered around the desk to see a scrawny cat in the doorway. It looked around the classroom for a moment, and they both ducked back behind the desk as the yellow eyes swept towards them. There was a tense few moments before pawsteps could be heard echoing down the corridor.

"What was that?" Ro asked as she got back to her feet.

"Mrs Norris," Augusta said, keeping her voice low, "she belongs to the caretaker, Orpheus Filch. Have you come across him yet?"

Ro shook her head. "Not in person, but I've heard of him. Apparently his youngest son's a squib?"

Augusta shrugged "Haven't heard either way. Well Mrs Norris is Filch's cat, and if she sees you in the corridor after dark she'll run back to Filch and I guarantee he'll be there within two minutes. According to Hogwarts Legend she's actually a witch transfigured into a cat, as she's belonged to the Hogwarts caretaker for as long as anyone remembers, but no-one really kno- wait, where are you going!"

Ro had rushed to the doorway while Augusta was telling the story, looking both ways to check which way Mrs Norris had gone. "Poppy and Minerva won't know that!" she said hurriedly, her heart sinking when she saw the cat run from the classroom where Poppy and Minerva where. Not waiting for Augusta to follow her, she sprinted down the corridor and skidded to a halt just outside the classroom.

Minerva was on her feet in an instant when she met Ro's gaze. "Have you found Ernest?"

"No, but we need to run. That was the caretaker's cat, and we've got about a minute before he'll get here." Seeing Minerva and Poppy's confused looks, Ro added "I'll explain when we get to the Common Room, just come on!"

Augusta reached the classroom just as the sound of running feet became audible heading in their direction. Knowing by instinct that the footsteps belonged to Filch, they wasted no time in starting to sprint back down the corridor. As they ascended the stairs they could hear Filch shouting "Students out of bed!" repeatedly, but Ro refused to look backwards for fear of losing her footing.

"Humbug!" Augusta cried out the password as they rounded the last corner and the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view. Ro guessed she must have sensed their urgency, as she swung forwards almost instantly and slammed shut the moment Poppy had hurdled the step into the Common Room.

The thick atmosphere in the Common Room was noticeable from the moment the portrait hole had closed, and Ro made an effort to stifle her laboured breathing that was disturbing the silence. The Gryffindor students were gathered around the largest sofa; Ro elbowed her way through the crowd just behind Augusta and gasped when she saw what everyone was looking at.

Ernest was lying on the chair, and at first glance Ro thought he looked dead. That was clearly what Shirley thought, as she was crouched on the floor in front of the chair holding Ernest's still hand and sobbing. Larry was patting her shoulder while looking equally distressed, and Edgar was sat on the arm of the chair with a puzzled look on his face.

"Edgar, what's happened?" Ro heard Augusta ask, pushing past her to look more closely at Ernest's body. Now that the initial shock had left her Ro could see that he wasn't dead- his eyes were wide open and his face frozen in an expression of terror. One arm was stretched upwards, as if he'd been pointing at something before his fate befell him.

"We found him by the window," Shirley said between sobs, "it was all misted up so you could see your refection in it, and he was just lying in front like this."

There was a length pause before Edgar spoke. "It doesn't make sense," he started, his voice troubled, "but this reminds me of something I read about in a library book Professor Kettleburn recommended to me. There are creatures that when looked at can cause... no, it's impossible."

"Just spit it out, Edgar!" snapped Bertha Maurice, Edgar's younger sister in fourth-year.

Edgar gave Bertha a warning glare that Ro had often been given by her older siblings, before looking up to face the students. "I think Ernest here has been petrified."

"Care to explain what that means?" Bertha asked, voicing the question that Ro had been wondering in her head.

"In essence, Ernest has been turned to stone." Edgar's words were met with panicked mutters from nearly everyone in the Common Room, but they fell silent as the portrait hole opened and Fleamont rushed in.

"I fetched Madame Quinine and Professor Dumbledore like you asked, Edgar." Fleamont called, stepping back to allow Madame Quinine and Professor Dumbledore through the portrait hole.

The crowd of students cleared as they moved to examine Ernest, and it was only a few moments before Madame Quinine announced "This boy needs to be taken to the Hospital Wing, Professor Dumbledore, there isn't any time to waste."

Professor Dumbledore nodded his permission as Madame Quinine conjured a stretcher which she moved Ernest onto and quickly levitated him out of the room. Professor Dumbledore went to follow her, before turning back to the students. "I want you all to go to your beds, we will see to Ernest and let you know in the morning what has happened."

The next morning, Professor Dumbledore returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and confirmed what Edgar had suggested the previous evening. He assured the students that Ernest would be revived as soon as they were able to get hold of some Mandrakes (as Professor Ainsley had sent away the Hogwarts population of Mandrakes claiming they weren't suitable to talk to), and that no similar incidents would happen again.

However, he was very quickly proven wrong. In the beginning of March, Professor Merrythought arrived nearly 20 minutes later to the first-years' DADA lesson looking upset and shocked, and announced that fourth-year Ravenclaw Peggy Gilbert had also been petrified. It was only a week later that Millicent and Septima told Ro, Poppy and Minerva that another Ravenclaw had fallen victim to the mystery attacker, third-year Harvey Dale. Things fell quiet for a while, but as soon as Ro began to think the scare was over, Wilhelmina Grubbly and Norma Clarke vanished from the first-year classes that the Gryffindors shared with the Hufflepuffs.

"If it weren't for Wilhelmina, Norma and Ernest, I'd say they're just targeting Ravenclaws." Minerva said as the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws walked back from the greenhouses where the two Houses had just had Herbology.

"There's got to be a link somewhere," Millicent said, to which everyone nodded in agreement.

But they were left with no further clues until just under a month later when Ro returned to the Gryffindor Common Room to be told that Marilyn Douglas had been petrified on the way to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team's practise session.

"Have you noticed that none of the victims are from Slytherin?" Ro suggested to Poppy and Minerva while in their dormitory that night.

"Two Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, and three Ravenclaws." Poppy murmured "No Slytherins at all."

There was a muffled thud as Minerva dropped her book onto the duvet. "I think I've figured it out- the petrified victims are all Muggleborns!"

Silence met her revelation, until Ro said "How'd you get from Slytherin to Muggleborns?"

"Do you know of any Slytherins who are Muggleborn?" Minerva asked, but before they could answer she continued "In fact, with the exception of Irma, do you know of any Slytherins who aren't Pureblood?"

"I think you're right," Poppy said slowly, "Ernest and Marilyn are Muggleborn, Septima mentioned that all the Ravenclaw victims are Muggleborn- hang on, isn't Wilhelmina a Halfblood?"

Ro looked at Minerva expecting her to have found a hole in her thought, but she still looked convinced. "But what if Wilhelmina was an accident? She wasn't alone, remember who she was petrified with?"

"Norma Clarke. Muggleborn." Ro nodded. "I guess that proves it then."

Poppy was looking increasingly uncomfortable as they talked through their idea, and Ro remembered with a jolt that she was a Muggleborn too. "But why would this attacker only be attacking Muggleborns?"

"I'll bet you my next birthday's money that this is to do with Slytherin." Ro groaned, falling backwards onto her bed. "You'd think even they know where to draw the line!"

"I'm not so sure, Edgar said that Petrification is a very advanced kind of dark magic." Minerva pointed out, "Sending Professor Beery to St Mungos with a enlarged head is one thing, turning people to stone is quite another."

"Even so," Ro said loudly as Poppy paled even further, "we're going to be careful. Until Professor Dippet finds out who's behind this, you're not going off by yourself, ok?"

Minerva nodded. "We'll have to tell the others tomorrow," she said, and Ro knew that by 'others' she was referring to Septima, Irma and Millicent. "Irma's got nothing to worry about and Septima should be fine, but Millicent's a Muggleborn. She needs to know."

For the next couple of weeks, a rota was planned to make sure Poppy and Millicent were never left alone without someone else with them. The plan seemed flawless in Ro's opinion, and her idea that Slytherin House were somehow behind it gained more evidence when attacks seemed to stop in the run-up to the two-week period of exams at the end of May.

"It makes sense!" Ro insisted as she, Minerva and Poppy headed downstairs towards the classroom on the first floor where their first exam was held. "It must be a student, as what with the exams they've got more to think about than petrifying us!"

Minerva didn't answer, muttering under her breath what Ro thought were various incantations they needed to remember for Theory of Charms that morning.

They had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Poppy stopped and asked "Why have you two got your quills with you? I thought they gave us special ones for exams?"

"Nah, that's just for O. and N.E.W.T.s." Ro said, "You left yours in the Common Room?"

Poppy nodded as she turned back towards the stairs. "I'll go and fetch it, wait for me outside the exam room."

Ro was too occupied with running through her notes in her mind to realise what Poppy had suggested, so it was only when she and Minerva reached the exam room alone did it dawn on her that they'd let Poppy go off on her own. Unease coursed through her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind until the first-years were all sat at their desks in the exam room and Poppy still hadn't turned up.

Just before Professor Aurelius announced that the exam was to begin, Ro shot her hand into the air and waved it about wildly. "Err, Professor, can I go to the toilet before the exam starts."

"May I too, please?" Minerva added, clearly catching onto what Ro was doing.

Professor Aurelius looked between them with a mildly irritated expression before finally saying "You should have done that on your way here girls, but you may. If you're not back within two minutes, the exam will start without you."

Ro wasted no time in sprinting from the exam room and up the staircase with Minerva hard on her heels. "She'll be ok, she probably just went to the toilet, it'll be-" she broke off with a scream when they reached the fifth floor and a huddled shape on the floor came into view. Terror rooted her to the spot for a moment, and it was only when Minerva gripped her hand and guided her forward that she regained control of her legs.

It was a girl lying faced down towards the floor, small in frame with blonde wavy hair. Ro hardly dared to breathe as she took hold of the girl's shoulders and rolled her over. Sky blue eyes stared blankly upwards, one hand was clapped over her mouth and the other holding the metallic golden case that quills were often stored in.

Ro felt Minerva sway sideways and hit the floor next to her, and a fresh wave of fear rose over Ro when she realised they were looking down at the petrified body of Poppy Pomfrey.

* * *

 _Authors Note:  
_ _Quite a fast paced chapter, things will slow down again in the next update._

 _The names of the Gryffindor students and the petrification victims are mostly made up, with the exception of Wilhelmina Grubbly (later becomes Professor Grubbly-Plank who covered for Hagrid in OoTP), Fleamont Potter (father of James Potter), Augusta Brown (Neville's grandmother with an invented last name), and Lester Longbottom (future husband of Augusta and Neville's grandfather, with invented first name)._

 _Larry Spencer-Moon is kind of made up and kind of not; he's my own creation but he is the daughter of the Ministry of Magic at the time (Leonard Spencer-Moon). He becomes a pretty important character from second-year onwards, and his younger brother will arrive when the girls are in third year._

 _The book Edgar is referring to is the book that Hermione looked in where she found information about the Basilisk. However Edgar assumed that since it's stated that there have been no Basilisks in Britain for multiple centuries it is impossible for the attacker to be a Basilisk._

 _Thank you so much to everyone who's followed, favourited and reviewed, you kind people give me the motivation to carry this on._


	9. Hunters become Hunted

_May 1943_

* * *

 _Trigger warning: there are mentions of lots of blood at a certain point near the end of this chapter. So that anyone triggered by this can still read and enjoy the chapter, don't read from 'Professor Merrythought was heaving...' to '"The phoenix tears will...' (I've underlined the first word in both of those sentences so you can find them easily). I'll put a summary of what happens during that section at the end._

* * *

The word seemed to fall out from under Minerva's feet, and as all the breath left her lungs she crashed down to the floor beside Ro. She was almost afraid to look too closely, terrified that she'd find Poppy to be dead rather than just petrified, but when she felt Ro's trembling hand touch her shoulder she forced the fear out of her mind.

Pushing herself into a sitting position, she set about attempting to remove the quill case that was still in Poppy's outstretched hand. Minerva's fearful expression in the golden case looked back up at her as she took Poppy's hand- it took a lot of control not to flinch away from the cold, stone like feel of her skin- and after a while of pushing and pulling she managed to free the case. She set it down next to her and turned her attention to Poppy's face, where apart from a bruise on her forehead presumable from where she'd hit the floor there were no marks at all. Trying to move her other hand away from her mouth proved unsuccessful, so instead Minerva placed two fingers on Poppy's neck to try and find a heartbeat.

Minerva hardly dared breath as she searched around for any sign of life, and after a silence that seemed to stretch into forever she detected the faintest pulse beneath Poppy's skin. "She's alive." She said, unable to stop her voice from cracking.

"Oh thank God." Ro said brokenly, her breath coming in gasps as if she'd been holding it for all the time Minerva had been looking at Poppy.

Pounding footsteps made them both turn to look behind them. Professor Aurelius was rushing up the stairs, her skirts gathered up in one hand and the other pointing accusingly at Minerva and Ro. "Miss Hooch and Miss McGonagall, your exam has started 10 minutes ago! Why in Merlin's name are you still..."

Professor Aurelius's voice trailed off as Minerva and Ro moved apart to let her see Poppy's body. She stopped slowly at the top of the stairs, staring at Poppy with a look of dread on her face. Shakily she reached for her wand and pointed it at her neck, before whispering "Sonorus" and starting to speak.

"Professors Dippet, Dumbledore and Merrythought, and Madame Quinine, are all required urgently at the top of the fifth floor staircase."

It was only a couple of minutes before the staff members arrived; Minerva guessed that all the exams had been stopped and the students told to wait in their examination classrooms. Professor Dumbledore headed straight for Poppy, looking her up and down with an unreadable expression. "Petrified." He said almost immediately, motioning for Madame Quinine to take his place beside Poppy.

Ro and Minerva stepped back when Madame Quinine bustled forward with the all too familiar stretcher floating behind her. Professor Merrythought stayed with them, a hand on each of their shoulders, while Madame Quinine took Poppy up to the Hospital Wing and Professors Dippet and Dumbledore left in the direction of the Headmaster's Office. Professor Dumbledore could be heard saying "This cannot continue Armando," before they moved out of hearing range.

Professor Aurelius only took one look at the shock that Minerva could tell was radiating from both her and Ro before telling them they were excused from the exam. She hurried back down the staircase while dabbing her face with a handkerchief, and Professor Merrythought quickly led Ro and Minerva away down the corridor. To Minerva's surprise rather than going back to the Gryffindor Common Room they found themselves in the Professor's Office, where she pointed to the comfy chairs in front of the window and told them to sit down. Minerva sunk slowly into one of the chairs, her legs feeling like they were made of cotton wool just as they'd done when she'd first found Poppy.

Professor Merrythought was pouring the contents of a small cauldron into three cups, and when she gave one to Minerva she realised it was green tea. She gave a second cup to Ro and kept the third for herself, sitting in another chair and taking a long drink. "I always find a cup of green tea one of the best remedies if you're down in the dumps. Professor Olwen had to donate some of her tea leaves to the staff room tin because we've all been getting through quite a lot of it lately." She admitted, giving Minerva and Ro a small smile.

Taking a sip of her tea, Minerva just nodded wordlessly, her mind still too scrambled to come up with any plausible sentences. A glance at Ro, who was struggling to hold back sobs while making stifled sniffing noises, told Minerva that she wasn't coping any better.

A flash of light caught Minerva's eye, and she looked over to see a silvery-blue squirrel sitting in front of Professor Merrythought's chair. It scampered through the air to float just above the arm of Ro's chair. Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, Ro giggled quietly as she moved her hand out to stroke it. Minerva was taken aback a little when it disintegrated at Ro's touch, but it reformed a moment later and proceeded to run in circles around Ro and Minerva's chairs.

"Is this a corporeal patronus?" Minerva asked.

Professor Merrythought looked at her with mild surprise on her face. "Yes it is, not many first-years are able to guess that. The best weapon for dealing with dementors and saddened students, I often use it to cheer up any Ravenclaws that come to me with their worries."

Ro nodded blankly, and with a small sigh Professor Merrythought set down her tea cup and moved the chair forward so she was only a foot or two away from Minerva and Ro. "She's going to be fine, I promise you." She said with certainty, "Professor Dippet told me this morning that a supply of Mandrake Restoring Draught has been located, and will be with us within the next month. It won't be long at all, you only need to hang on until then."

There was a knock on the door; Professor Merrythought called out "It's open, come in!"

The door was pushed open with a creak, and behind it was Septima and Irma. Septima immediately rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Minerva's neck in a crushing hug, and moments later Ro received the same treatment.

"Septima, Irma," Professor Merrythought said in greeting, lifting her wand and conjuring another two chairs. "Are you two alright?"

Septima nodded as she released Ro and sat down in one of the chairs. "Millicent's not though. We went back to the Common Room after the exam to put our quills away, and she refused to come with us to see you. She's too scared to leave the dormitory, so Mali and Bonnie stayed with her." Minerva remembered as Septima spoke that Mali Shafiq and Bonnie Dale were the other two Ravenclaw first-years.

"Poor dear," Professor Merrythought tutted, walking back to her cauldron and pouring another two cups of tea. She gave one to Septima and placed the other on the arm of the vacant chair, before looking over at Irma who was still hovering by the door. "Irma, please do sit down."

Irma duly sat down, and as she lifted her head up Minerva noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. Minerva was surprised, having not expected Septima's isolated twin to be so affected by Poppy's misfortune. The reason came a second later though when she muttered "Everyone thinks this is Slytherin's doing."

Minerva instantly felt guilty, knowing that she, Ro and Poppy had been thinking that themselves before they found the Muggleborn link.

"When we were with Millicent in the Common Room," Septima started carefully, leaning towards Irma to place a hand over hers, "Bonnie Dale had a right go at Irma saying I shouldn't let her in and that this is her fault. That brat Robert Fawley joined in too; Marvin Russell, one of the prefects, had to tell them to go back to their dorms. He left just before we did to go and find Professor Dippet about it."

Professor Merrythought sighed angrily, pausing for a moment with her head in her hands. "I'll talk to them when we get back to the dormitory. I know Bonnie's brother has been petrified, but accusing people is a step too far."

"I've heard nothing in the Common Room, I promise you it's not-" Irma started, but she was interrupted by the door flying open. About a dozen terrified faces were behind it, all wearing blue-trimmed robes, headed by Filius Flitwick. Before anyone could speak, Filius squeaked the words that send ice flooding down Minerva's veins for the second time that day.

"Professor Dippet says everyone has to go to the Great Hall... Marvin Russell's just been petrified."

The atmosphere in the Great Hall when Professor Merrythought led them in was of pure despair. Very few students were sat at the correct House table, with different coloured robes scattered all around as they huddled with their friends across the four Houses. Minerva watched as Professor Merrythought strode up to the staff table to take her usual seat on one side of Professor Dippet, before she, Ro, Irma and Septima took a seat on the edge of the Gryffindor table. She couldn't see Millicent, but assumed she had been swept along with the crowd of Ravenclaws.

"Please can I have everyone's attention?" Professor Dippet called, silencing the frantic murmurs that had filled the Hall previously. "I'm sure it causes you all as much distress as it does us that the eighth student has just been attacked and petrified. Madame Quinine assures me that we will be able to revive them all shortly, but our immediate concern is the safety of our remaining students. To maximise the chance we have of keeping you all safe, from now on everyone will sleep in the Great Hall. There will be staff guarding the Hall at all times, and all students will be escorted to and from their lessons. With the exception of all our fifth and seventh year students, whose exams are of the greatest importance, all exams are cancelled and the normal timetables will be resumed."

The thought of how all the students would be able to sleep in the Great Hall did cross Minerva's mind, but she needn't have worried. By the time the first-years returned from their afternoon lesson with a still shell-shocked Professor Aurelius, the tables in the Hall had been removed and replaced with hundreds of bunk beds. It was strange not sleeping in their dormitory in the Gryffindor dormitory, but for the next few days everything passed without further incidents.

It was nearly a fortnight after they were moved into the Great Hall that, late in the evening when the Heads of Houses were counting their students, Professor Merrythought's worried voice called out that one of her third-year students Myrtle Warren was missing. When one of the Slytherins, who Irma said was another third-year Olive Hornby, admitted that she'd made Myrtle cry and run out of the Great Hall, Professor Dippet dispatched her and her classmate Orion Black with Professor Slughorn to look for her. Once they had left, the remaining students were all sent to their beds.

Minerva awoke a few hours later to see Ro's head peering down from the top bunk. "Min, there's someone moving around the Hall and I don't think it's one of the teachers." She hissed urgently, before sliding down the ladder.

Minerva hurriedly pulled on her tartan dressing gown and pocketed her wand before standing up to join Ro. She debated waking Irma and Septima too, but both were sleeping soundly in a neighbouring bunk bed. Ro took hold of her wrist and together they ran through the maze of bunk beds to a door that was behind where the staff table usually stood. A cloaked figure could be seen in the doorway, and as the figure moved out the Hall and down the corridor the hood fell down to reveal Professor Merrythought.

The Professor turned around upon hearing Minerva and Ro, waving her hands frantically and whispering "You need to go back!"

"Where are you going?" Minerva asked, a dozen ideas and suspicions spinning around her head. Surely Professor Merrythought couldn't be the culprit!

"To find this creature and put an end to it once and for all before Myrtle or one of the Slytherins is found hurt."

Relief flooded through Minerva, before she looked up at the Professor and said "We're coming with you."

Professor Merrythought's eyes widened. "Don't be ludicrous Minerva, it would be far too dangerous to take you with me. I don't know what I'll be facing here, and I don't want you two to get hurt. We've got enough problems on our hands with the third-years in the corridors."

"But Professor, if you're alone who's going to watch your back?" Ro replied stubbornly. "Olive and Orion went with Professor Slughorn to look for Myrtle. Professor Dippet said that no-one's to go around alone, surely that means you as well as us?"

There was silence for a couple of moments as Professor Merrythought just stared at Ro. Eventually she shook her head and took a deep breath before saying "You make a good point, Rolanda. You must promise to keep alert and stay back, and do exactly as I tell you. Even if that means leaving me and going back to the Hall. Is that clear?"

She eyed Ro and Minerva in turn, and Minerva nodded quickly before she could change her mind. Without another word Professor Merrythought turned back down the corridor and started to walk down it, and up a steep staircase. Minerva had no idea where they were going until they emerged on the first floor corridor, and Professor Merrythought wasted no time before starting her search.

"I've been looking at the clues left at each petrification," she said as they walked, "and there's a common circumstance. They were all looking at the attacker reflected in an object."

Minerva thought back to the petrifications she knew of in great detail; Shirley had said that Ernest had been found looking into a window that she could see her reflection in and Poppy had been holding her reflective quill case."So they were all petrified by looking at it?" she asked.

Professor Merrythought nodded. "Yes, which is why if we think it's around, we mustn't look at it. We'll have to rely on our other senses."

They searched around the corridors where petrifications had taken place, listening out at each corner before daring to look around the walls. Minerva's stomach lurched when she heard a sound that echoed in the otherwise silent night; it was hard to describe, something like a rustle or even a slither. Forcing down the terror that was threatening to stop her in her track, she stumbled forward to tug on Professor Merrythought's sleeve.

"Can you hear that noise?" Minerva whispered.

Professor Merrythought nodded, drawing her wand out of her pocket. She held her free hand over Ro's eyes and motioned for Minerva to do the same, which she did over her glasses. Effectively blinded, Minerva stayed within touching distance of the Professor as they slowly tiptoed their way down the corridor.

A screeching roar stopped them in their tracks, and if it weren't for Professor Merrythought gripping her shoulder tightly she might have looked up purely on instinct. She could scarcely remember ever being so frightened, being faced with an enemy she couldn't even see. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the creature responsible for attacking the Muggleborn students.

"Go and don't turn back!" Professor Merrythought howled as their attacker roared again, accompanied by the rustling that sounded as if it was getting closer. Her eyes still squeezed shut, Minerva couldn't see where she was putting her feet and she skidded onto the floor, her glasses clattering a few feet away from her. She tried to feel around for her glasses while keeping her eyes still shut, but frightened sound from Professor Merrythought made her open her eyes.

Everything was blurred without her glasses, so Minerva had a limited idea of what was happening in front of her. She could see the cloaked figure of Professor Merrythought stood with one hand shielding her eyes and the other holding her wand out behind her. A dark shape was looming behind the her, it's jaws wide open, and as Minerva watched the creature lunged forward and Professor Merrythought screamed.

Footsteps made her turn around to see a very blurred person standing at the far end of the corridor, behind Professor Merrythought and the creature. Without her glasses Minerva had no way of distinguishing any features, but she heard the person say something which she could hardly make out over Professor Merrythought's heavy and panicked breathing. To her amazement the shadow of the creature seemed to withdraw, before it turned away from the Professor and disappeared along with the person around a corner.

Minerva stayed where she had fallen, staring at the corner that the creature had vanished around, before another agonised wail from Professor Merrythought brought her back to her senses. She frantically rummaged on the floor for her glasses, sighing with relief when she found them before jumping to her feet and sprinting across the corridor.

Professor Merrythought was heaving for breath when Minerva reached her, and Minerva had to shake her arm a few times in order to get her attention. The Professor looked at her for a couple of seconds, her usually kind blue eyes wide with panic, before looking back at her left hand. Or what was left of it. The sleeve of her robe had been ripped away to reveal not a hand, but just a stump that was pouring with blood. A menacing dark red pigment was inching slowly up the veins in Professor Merrythought's arms; Minerva presumed that whatever had attacked them was a venomous creature, and the poison was heading fast into the Professor's body.

With a pained moan Professor Merrythought swayed into Minerva, and unable to support both of their weight she crashed onto the floor. "Professor, Professor Merrythought!" she called urgently, though Professor Merrythought's face was vague and unfocused. "Please don't die!" Minerva begged, looking around for any sign that help was on the way.

Her hopes soared when she heard people sprinting from the direction of the Great Hall. Ro rounded the corner first- in the chaos Minerva hadn't even realised that she'd gone- followed by Professors Dippet and Dumbledore. Soaring above them was a bright red bird with embers springing from its plumage; a phoenix. It swooped down next to Minerva and Professor Merrythought before anyone else could reach them. Fascinated by the bird, Minerva watched intently as tears fell from its eyes and splashed onto Professor Merrythought's wrist that was still dripping blood all over Minerva's hands.

To her utter amazement the flow of blood seemed to slow and eventually stop, and the red lines creeping up Professor Merrythought's arm faded away to nothing. Her laboured breathing was stilled as she stared blankly at her wrist, before slowly moving her head to look up at Professor Dumbledore.

"Will she be ok?" Minerva heard Ro say in a shaking voice, looking at Professor Merrythought with a horrified expression.

Professor Dumbledore sighed as the phoenix jumped up to perch on his shoulder. "I think she will, Miss Hooch," he said eventually, leaning down and putting a hand under Professor Merrythought's uninjured to help her to her feet. She swayed alarmingly for a moment before Professor Dippet stepped forward to take her other shoulder, keeping clear of her bloodied wrist.

"The phoenix tears will have removed the immediate danger from the venom of... whatever creature did this." Professor Dippet added, "But she is still in danger simply due to the nature of her injury. Madame Quinine will do her absolute best, but at the very least she will be without one hand for the rest of her life."

They all looked up as Professor Slughorn burst into view, followed closely by Olive and Orion. All three were evidently distressed; Professor Slughorn was wearing an anguished expression, Olive was sobbing into a handkerchief and Orion just looked numb with shock.

"Horace, what has happened?" Professor Dippet said urgently.

Professor Slughorn shook his head hopelessly as he said "The Ravenclaw girl, Miss Warren, she's dead!"

There was a disbelieving silence for a moment, punctuated only by the shallow breaths coming from Professor Merrythought. Minerva jumped when she felt a hand seize her shoulder, but relaxed again when she turned around to see it was only Ro. There were tears running down her face, and as Minerva took Ro's hands in hers she started to cry.

"Oh Min," she managed to say between gasps, "what if that had been Poppy? She'd be- we wouldn't ever-"

Unable to face hearing rest of what she knew Ro was going to say, Minerva just leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Ro's neck, sobbing herself as she felt Ro whimpering uncontrollably into her shoulder.

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_ _For those of you who didn't read the blood-mentioning section: Professor Merrythought's hand was bitten off by the creature and she collapsed due to the effect of the venom. Fawkes arrived along with Ro (who had gone for help), Dippet and Dumbledore, and his tears were able to save her life._

 _A very long chapter! I considered splitting it into two, but I don't want the story to get too long bearing in mind it will cover all seven years of their time in Hogwarts._

 _I thought it would be fitting that Professor Merrythought would seek out the basilisk. All the staff seemed to think Lockhart should have done in 1993, so as Merrythought is an amazing DADA teacher it seemed to me like she would try and track it down._

 _No-one has realised that the creature is a basilisk, as no-one knew in 1992 when the Chamber was opened again. This is why I had Minerva see the basilisk bite Merrythought without her glasses on, as I wanted her to see what happened but not the identity of the attacker. As someone who also needs glasses for seeing far away, I can promise that is an accurate description of what it's like seeing without glasses._

 _The person Minerva sees communicating with the basilisk is Tom Riddle; again I wanted her to see him without knowing his identity. The timeline of events is that he killed Myrtle, and then moved into the corridor aiming to get another victim. As neither Merrythought or Minerva are Muggleborn, he saw no need to attack them properly so returned the basilisk to the Chamber._

 _As we know from canon that Myrtle's body wasn't found for hours after she died and her body was taken from the bathroom in the middle of the night, I thought it was fair enough to presume that Olive found her during the night._


	10. A Far-Fetched Truth

_June 1943_

* * *

When Ro awoke the next morning in a bed in the Hospital Wing, it took her a couple of moments to decide if the events of the previous evening had been real or not. She, Minerva and the two Slytherins Orion and Olive had been taken to the Hospital Wing to spend the rest of the night rather than going back to the Great Hall, as Professor Dippet hadn't wanted to disturb any of the other students.

Minerva was still asleep on the bed to her left, but the beds that had been occupied by Olive and Orion were both empty making Ro think they'd already gone back to the Great Hall. On her other side was a long row of beds that Ro had refused to look at. She'd caught a glimpse of them when entering the Wing, and her blood had run cold upon seeing the unnatural positions that the people lying on the beds were in. They were the people who had been petrified; a couple were almost totally hunched over and nearly all of them had hands extended into the air. Ro's stomach clenched every time she accidentally looked towards them, knowing full well that one of them was Poppy, so kept her back firmly to that end of the ward.

In the bed opposite, deathly quiet and still, was Professor Merrythought. She had been all but carried by Professor Dippet and Professor Dumbledore after her ordeal, too weak and disorientated to even stand. As none of them still had any idea what had been responsible for removing her hand, deciding what potions were necessary to treat her had been quite a challenge for the combined efforts of Madame Quinine and Professor Slughorn. Ro had lost count of how many different ointments were applied to her wrist before Madame Quinine bandaged it with a flick of her wand, and then she had been given a Dreamless Sleep potion which had her unconscious within seconds.

Quieter than a ghost, Ro carefully got out of bed and tiptoed over to Professor Merrythought's bed. She looked pretty much the same as she'd done last night, although due to the excessive amount of blood that had been spilled over her robes they'd been disposed of and she was now wearing a white hospital gown. Her hat had been removed so her dark grey hair spilled out over her pillow, and her face looked absolutely lifeless. This was what unnerved Ro the most; she was so used to seeing Professor Merrythought beaming joyfully that her blank expression was just as bad as the heavily bandaged arm which lay across her chest.

"How are you feeling Miss Hooch?" asked Madame Quinine behind her.

Ro turned to give the elderly matron a small smile. "I'm ok thank you. Is Professor Merrythought any better?"

Madame Quinine sighed as she walked around Ro to stand at Professor Merrythought's bedside. "Her condition is neither better nor worse, which is not surprising given her age, but I am confident she will make a full recovery. But her hand I can do little for."

"How old is Professor Merrythought?" Ro asked, looking back at the Professor. She certainly didn't look old, despite her greying hair, making it almost impossible to tell her age.

Madame Quinine chuckled as she dampened Professor Merrythought's forehead with a cool cloth. "Well if I say she was a first-year here at Hogwarts when I was in seventh-year, and that she taught both Professor Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn, does that give you any indication?"

Ro looked incredulously at Madame Quinine, her tired mind trying to process what that would mean. She was saved from answering by the Hospital Wing door swinging open, and Professor Dumbledore striding in.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Madame Quinine handed the cloth to Ro, who kept dabbing Professor Merrythought's forehead, before wiping her hands on her apron and approaching him. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I've come to collect Miss Hooch and Miss McGonagall, if they are awake. There has been a development that I think they would like to know about." Ro frowned at the seriousness in Dumbledore's voice- whatever this development was it was hardly likely to be anything good.

Madame Quinine gave Ro a long look before turning back to Professor Dumbledore. "You can take Miss Hooch, but Miss McGonagall needs her rest. She was very shocked after the events of last night, and I don't want her disturbed." With a nod to Professor Dumbledore she bustled away down the Wing, leaving Ro to pull her outer robe over her pyjamas and follow Professor Dumbledore down to the Great Hall.

The scene when they arrived was unusually, unnervingly quiet. Students were sat in small groups on their beds, most with sombre expressions and teary eyes, especially from the Ravenclaw dominated corner of the Great Hall. Practically everyone was still wearing their night clothes including the teachers who were walking around in dressing gowns and wonky hats, occasionally pausing to talk to a student before continuing their patrols. Ro picked up her pace as she ran through the beds to where she had been sleeping, to find Septima and Irma huddled together on the bottom bed of their bunk. Septima had her face buried her hands and Irma had her hand around Septima's shoulders, but they both looked up as Ro approached.

"I... I guess you've been told then." Ro said hesitantly as she sat down on Irma's other side.

Irma nodded blankly. "Professor Dippet announced it this morning. Is everybody alright?"

"Yeah," Ro said, though in truth she still felt a little too shaken to be considered alright. "Min was just pretty shocked, but Professor Merrythought's in a bad way. Madame Quinine said she'll recover, but her hand's gone for good."

The news set Septima off crying again, sniffing into a handkerchief that Irma fished out of her dressing gown pocket. After whispering something into Septima's ear, Irma turned back to Ro and said bluntly "They've found a suspect."

Ro's interest piqued, thinking that must have been the development that Professor Dumbledore had mentioned when in the Hospital Wing. Out of instinct she thought it must be a Slytherin, but knowing how Irma had suffered for that general opinion she just asked "Did they say who?"

"No. We'll be told when they're convinced they've got the right person." Irma shook her head, pulling Septima towards her slightly as she let out a small sob. "But apparently if they can't guarantee the attacks will stop, the Ministry of Magic might-" she paused for a moment as her voice wobbled, inhaling deeply before continuing "-have to close Hogwarts down for good."

Ro could only stare numbly. Hogwarts had been a central point in her life since she could remember- her eldest brother Kurtis being 12 years older than she meant that his graduation was one of her earliest memories. The idea of the school not being there anymore was hard to even imagine; Ro shook her head stubbornly and said "But they can't!"

Irma shrugged. "But they can," she said with an attempt at a careless attitude, though it wasn't hard for Ro to tell how much the situation was hurting her. She was unsure how to console Irma, who usually kept herself so distant from everyone else and concealed her emotions almost perfectly. In attempt to be comforting Ro placed a hand on her knee, relieved when she didn't move away.

They both looked up as Professor Dippet's magnified voice rang out across the Great Hall. "Please can I have everybody's attention. All Gryffindor students are required to assemble back in their Common Room, where Professor Dumbledore will make an announcement to you separately."

"I wonder what that's about." Irma said, glancing at Ro as she stood up and took a deep breath.

"I guess I'm about to find out." Ro muttered, giving Irma half a smile which she returned with a grateful expression.

Septima lifted her head from Irma's handkerchief and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve. "Good luck," she said to Ro with a brittle voice, resting her head on Irma's shoulder. Ro nodded in thanks before turning and following the other Gryffindors out of the Great Hall.

As she fell in step beside Larry Spencer-Moon, bringing up the rear of the Gryffindor Party, Ro couldn't help noticing that the deathly still atmosphere in the Hall had reached the corridors too. The people in the paintings lining the walls who could usually be heard chattering quietly all through the day had fallen quiet, merely watching as the students headed up the stairs to the Common Room.

It was strange to see the Fat Lady again and to climb through the portrait hole after two weeks away. When the Gyffindors gathered in a rough half-circle around the fireplace, they were greeted by Professor Dumbledore and a man who, in Ro's opinion, looked strikingly like an older version of Larry. Minerva was already in the Common Room, and when Ro caught her eye she pushed through the crowd to stand with her and Larry.

"Good morning to you all." The man started, though from his tone of voice Ro could tell it was going to be anything but a good morning. "In case any of you are unaware of who I am, my name is Leonard Spencer-Moon and I am the current Minister for Magic.

Ro looked towards Larry with a raised eyebrow; he leaned over and whispered in her ear "My father!"

Professor Dumbledore stepped forward to stand beside Spencer-Moon. "This news will be announced to all the Houses together when we return to the Hall, but the Minister and I felt that as the news is likely to be a shock to you most of all, it was fair if you were told first."

"The reason I have asked your Head of House to bring you all here is that the person responsible for the attacks on students which have been plaguing the corridors of Hogwarts for the past 5 months has been revealed." Relieved sighs could be heard from nearly every Gryffindor, but they were silenced instantly when Spencer-Moon continued "But it troubles me greatly to inform you that it was one of your own ranks."

Silence met his words; the only sound Ro could hear was the pounding of her heart that rang loudly in her ears. She looked frantically around the Common Room trying to see who was missing, but with every Gryffindor squashed together it was hard to tell different people apart. That was until she realised that the absentee was the one Hogwarts Student who could never blend into the crowd, always sticking out over everybody else by at least 2 feet. But it couldn't, she thought, it just couldn't be who she was thinking of.

Spencer-Moon paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "Another student came to Professor Dippet's office this morning while we were meeting with Miss Warren's bereaved parents, to inform me that this student has been illegally raising a dangerous creature within the castle."

Ro's heart was racing as Professor Dumbledore said "Although the Actomantula responsible for the attacks on our students and Professor Merrythought has escaped, Rubeus Hagrid has been expelled from Hogwarts and forbidden from practising magic."

In contrast to the stunned silence that had filled the Common Room, it was clear that nearly everyone was furious about Professor Dumbledore's verdict. "Hagrid would never do such a thing!" roared Edgar Maurice, and several people shouted their agreement. The only person who looked satisfied was Shirley Miller, who was whispering to another second-year something that sounded to Ro like "Finally we have justice for Ernest, Marilyn and Poppy!"

Professor Dumbledore's wand emitted a loud whistling sound that made Ro, Minerva and several others clamp their hands over their ears. Before the noise could start up again, Professor Dumbledore said "I know this is quite unexpected, but you must all understand how we were forced to take immediate action or we faced having our beloved school closed down."

"But Professor Dumbledore," objected Fleamont Potter, "what makes you so sure that the Acromantula is responsible if none of us saw the attacker?"

"Minerva saw Professor Merrythought get attacked, ask her!" an unknown voice shouted, and Ro felt Minerva stiffen next to her as every eye in the room turned towards her.

"Well, Miss McGonagall?" Professor Dumbledore prompted as she stood speechless.

Minerva swallowed before shakily saying "I was there, but my glasses had been knocked off. Everything was blurred, so all I saw was a dark shadow."

"But the signs we have do fit," Spencer-Moon loudly called out over the disappointed groans. "Professor Merrythought was attacked by a very venomous creature, and the antidote to the venom was phoenix tears. Both of these factors are traits typical of an Acromantula, as is the liking for human flesh. I am convinced that the culprit has been caught and there will be no more attacks."

Nothing more that any of the Gryffindor students said would sway either Spencer-Moon or Professor Dumbledore, so it was with an overwhelming sense of disbelief that the Gryffindor students left the Common Room and returned to the Great Hall. Another week of sleeping in the Hall and being escorted everywhere followed, before the students were finally allowed to return to their Common Rooms.

With the threat of attack apparently over, the general thought was now how long it would be before the petrified victims would be revived. Poppy's disappearance was more noticeable than ever now that Ro had to see her empty bed multiple times each day, and the same could be said for the other two petrified Gryffindors. As the end of June drew closer, Ro still held on to Professor Merrythought's promise that the Mandrake Restorative Draught would be available quickly. She too hadn't been seen out of the Hospital Wing since the fateful night, but Professor Dumbledore was happy to give updates on her progress whenever Ro asked him.

Hagrid's absence had left a huge hole in the House too. Nearly every Gryffindor was unconvinced that he was responsible for the attacks, but the majority of the school just seemed to be glad that there was someone to blame. This was especially the case regarding most of the Slytherin students; although Irma agreed that accusing Hagrid was likely to be unjust, whenever Ro encountered a Slytherin in the corridors they could usually be heard making some sort of jibe against Gryffindor House.

"I bet the Gryffindors can't believe that while they were all accusing us of the attacks, one of them was the traitor!" Druella Rosier sniggered behind Ro and Minerva as the first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins left the History of Magic classroom. Abraxas, Owle and Apollyon laughed loudly in response, and Ro gripped the handle of her bag tighter to prevent herself from hexing them.

"Ignore them," Minerva whispered in her ear and she nodded, though her teeth were still gritted.

"Though I suppose it's no surprise the half-breed was responsible," Druella continued loudly, "I don't know why Professor Dippet let him in here in the first place, to me it's obvious he would cause trouble."

"But I guess other people just don't understand how important purity is, Druella," Abraxas chimed in, "If the oaf had been using that creature intentionally, he would have had the right idea. There are too many mudbloods plaguing this school, if I'd known I might have gone to Durmstrang instead."

It took a great deal of self control for Ro to keep herself from whipping out her wand. She was distracted though by another voice shouting behind them, and Ro ground to an abrupt halt when she realised the voice belonged to Irma. They were right in front of a staircase, but thankfully the corridors were all but empty.

"Don't you have anything better to do than picking on people you've nothing to do with?" Irma snapped, walking swiftly past the Slytherins to stand by Ro and Minerva.

Druella let out a malicious laugh as Abraxas, Owle and Apollyon sneered at Irma. "How dare you talk back at us, muggle-lover! The child of a mudblood and a blood traitor, you're a disgrace to the noble house of Black!"

Ro's vision blurred slightly, leaving her feeling disorientated, which wasn't helped by the fact that everyone around her let out shouts of surprise. Regaining her senses she was shocked to discover that the large window they had been stood next to bore a large crack right through the centre, and there were shards of glass on the floor from where Minerva's glasses had shattered.

"She tried to curse us!" Druella screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Ro as she, Abraxas, Owle and Apollyon all backed away. "She tried to-"

"That will be enough, thank you Miss Rosier." Said a stern voice, and Ro tore her gaze from the cracked window to see Professor Merrythought walking slowly down the stairs. Her left arm was wrapped up in a sling, but with that exception she appeared to be fully recovered. "I will not accept these prejudiced terms being used at this school; that will be 20 points from Slytherin House. Now, I expect you have somewhere to be?"

Druella nodded dully, turning around and continuing down the corridor with Abraxas, Owle and Apollyon beside her.

"Apparently she's retiring at the end of term- she could match Kettleburn now with that limb missing." Owle could just be heard saying, and Professor Merrythought's face contorted in fury.

"And that will be a further 20 points for being inexcusably rude to a member of staff!" she shouted behind them, though they gave no indication that they had heard her.

"I'm really sorry," Ro broke the silence that had descended, her mind seeming to fall apart for a moment as she looked back at the window. She had been very prone to attacks of accidental magic as a young child, but since coming to Hogwarts she hadn't once lost control of her magic yet. "I thought I'd stopped doing that, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry-"

She was interrupted by Professor Merrythought crouching down to give her a one-armed hug. "You were angry, Rolanda, this is just something that can happen." She said as she leaned back to look Ro in the eye. "It doesn't make you weak, not in the slightest."

Ro nodded, taking a few deep breaths before giving Professor Merrythought a shaken smile.

"Now let's fix this up, shall we?" Professor Merrythought said, pulling her wand out of the pocket of her robes. She waved it around, and without needing an incantation the glass began returning to Minerva's glasses and the damage in the window slowly began to fade.

As the repairing charm worked, Ro reached out and touched Irma's wrist. "You alright?" she asked, concerned that the string of insults Druella had thrown her way had hurt her more than she was willing to show.

Irma nodded curtly, though didn't meet Ro's eyes. Clearly keen to change the subject, she instead looked at Professor Merrythought and said "Is it true you're retiring, Professor Merrythought?"

Professor Merrythought laughed. "Goodness me, no! Contrary to what you may have been told-" she paused to wink at Ro "-I've got a good few years left in me yet. Not to mention that Professor Beery is undecided whether he wishes to return next term, and we can only afford to lose one teacher at the most."

She stepped backwards onto the first stair that led upstairs, beckoning for Ro, Minerva and Irma to follow her. "I'm glad I found you three here actually," she said, a smile widening on her face as she glanced at each of them in turn, "there's someone in my office who's very eager to see you!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Another long chapter, I must work on shortening these up a little xD_

 _it is absolutely infuriating how little sense everyone had when they expelled Hagrid. In my opinion it is obvious that he and Aragog weren't responsible, but I'm presuming they were desperate to just find someone so that the school wouldn't,t have to be closed. This will be explored more in the next chapter._

 _I know someone suggested looking at Irma's reaction to this in a review of the last chapter, and as she's one of my favourite characters now I was very happy to comply. It's funny really, she wasn't even in my first notes of this story but she's a firm favourite to write now! As for her family, more will be revealed as time goes by._

 _Professor Merrythought's age is canon compliant- about 70 years old. But as the wizarding life expectancy is so high (it was 137ish in the 2010s, and if we're assuming life expectancy of wizards and muggles has increased at the same rate it would be about 120 in the 1940s) she's still technically middle aged._

 _Leonard Spencer-Moon is also canon compliant, I've just given him a son. As I may have said before, Larry will become a more important character from second year onwards._


	11. No Place like Home

_June 1943_

* * *

As Professor Merrythought walked them slowly up the two flights of stairs to her office, having to cling onto the banister to keep herself steady, Minerva's mind was occupied with who they might be meeting in the Professor's Office. It was only when she saw Harvey Dale and Peggy Gilbert walking past them on the sixth floor corridor that she began to get an idea, as the two Ravenclaws had spent the past four months petrified in the Hospital Wing. She refused to let herself get too excited though in case her suspicious turned out to be incorrect, merely following Professor Merrythought into her office and sitting in one of the armchairs by the fire.

On a blackboard propped up against the wall were reams and reams of notes in shaky handwriting that was very different from Professor Merrythought's usual curled style, complete with the odd diagram here and there. From where Minerva was sitting she could see names of different creatures, some crossed out and some underlined, but what really caught her eye were the words written in capital letters near the bottom of the board surrounded by question marks:

'CHAMBER OF SECRETS?'

"Professor Merrythought?" Ro asked as she sat down on the chair to Minerva's left, "What's the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I'll explain in a moment dear," Professor Merrythought said, shutting the door behind them, "I'm sure you'll want to see who I've got here for you to meet first."

Ro and Minerva both nodded; Irma, who was sat on Minerva's other side, still looked as though she was lost in thought entirely. Making a mental reminder to ask her what the matter was once it had been revealed who this mysterious person was, Minerva turned her attention back to Professor Merrythought. She handed Minerva, Ro and Irma a cup of tea each, placed another on the floor in front of the free chair on the other side of Ro and kept the last cup to herself as she sat down next to Irma. She grinned at each of the girls before calling "You can come out now!"

There was movement behind Professor Merrythought's coat stand, and Minerva gasped sharply when from behind it stepped-

"Poppy!" Ro shouted, dropping her full cup onto the floor with a smash as she jumped over the arm of her chair. She wrapped her arms around Poppy and squeezed so hard that it made Poppy squeak in surprise, her own arms bound to her sides from the force of Ro's grip.

When Ro finally released Poppy, Minerva got up and hugged her much more gently. "It's so good to see you again." She breathed, so unbelievably happy that her suspicion had been correct.

The sound of chinking china caught her attention, and she looked up to see Professor Merrythought repaired Ro's broken teacup with a flick of her wand. "The Mandrake Draught arrived late last night," she explained as she started to remove the tea from the rug, "Madame Quinine only released me from the Hospital Wing this morning, so I thought it might make a nice surprise if I waited for Poppy to be up and awake before I came to find you."

Her words reminded Minerva that she hadn't seen the Professor for over two weeks since their run-in with the creature, her gaze drawn instantly to her left arm. It was still bandaged beneath the sleeve of her robe, and held to her chest in a sling. "Is your wrist better now?" she asked.

Professor Merrythought shrugged with a distasteful expression. "I suppose so. It's not going to get any better if that's what you mean, I just have to keep it covered for a while. I've already filled Poppy in on what happened, by the way." She added as Ro turned to Poppy and looked as though she was about to explain their ordeal.

"That's good, because I wasn't there for part of it!" Ro said, letting out a short laugh.

"You went for help, didn't you? I think Minerva and I owe you our lives." Professor Merrythought said, and Minerva couldn't help agreeing with her. She was surprised though when Professor Merrythought turned to her and asked "I don't suppose you happened to see what actually attacked us that night?"

Minerva shook her head with a restrained sigh; she'd lost count of how many times she'd been asked that question in the time since the attack. "My glasses fell off, all I saw was a dark shadow."

"Pity," Professor Merrythought sighed, turning to look at the blackboard covered in creature names, "I could do with some more clues. While I was in the Hospital Wing I looked through every book Professor Kettleburn suggested, and I'm still not getting very close."

"So you don't think it was Hagrid's Acromantula either?" Ro asked, sounding very relieved.

"Not even a little. You see, despite everything Professor Dippet and the Minister said about Acromantulas being venomous with a phoenix tear antidote, there's one factor that rules out even the slightest possibility." Professor Merrythought turned to look at them all before continuing bluntly "Acromantulas can't petrify."

Ro's mouth fell open, and Minerva felt rage boiling inside her. "And they still think Hagrid's to blame!"

Professor Merrythought nodded. "Though I do understand Professor Dippet's predicament. If a culprit was not put forward and punished, we may have lost our school."

"So he saved himself at Hagrid's expense." Irma muttered.

"Yes, although it's not all bad news." Professor Merrythought countered. "Professor Dumbledore has convinced all involved that he can remain part of the school, but as Ogg's apprentice rather than a student wizard."

There was quiet for a few moments before Minerva nodded. "He'll make a good Gamekeeper." She said, and murmurs of agreement came from everyone else in the room. "I think he'll certainly enjoy it."

"But that still doesn't solve the problem of what actually attacked us." Professor Merrythought drew their attention back to the blackboard. "There are a few magical creatures that can cause petrification by looking at the victim, most of them when direct eye contact isn't made."

"I saw its eyes when I looked into the case of my quill." Poppy pointed out.

"Exactly. And those creatures are the Gorgon, the Basilisk, and some variants of Chimaera. There is debate over whether Manticores cause petrification too," she pointed to the word that had been crossed out, "but as they are capable of human speech we would have heard words rather than roars when in that corridor. Basilisks can be ruled out as they've been extinct in Britain for the past 400 years, and legend says that a Gorgon will physically turn you into a statue if they look at you. So right now my best lead is the Chimaera."

"But they're enormous!" Ro objected, "how would someone keep one of them in the castle without it getting noticed!"

Professor Merrythought smiled knowingly. "This is where I answer your earlier question, Rolanda," she said as she tapped the words 'CHAMBER OF SECRETS" with wand.

The movement caused a flurry of gold sparks to shoot out of the tip, which were dispersed quickly as she waved the wand again and hit it a couple of times against the blackboard. "That's the second time that's happened today," Professor Merrythought said wistfully, looking at the wand for a couple of moments before tucking it back into the pocket of her robes. "I was left-handed, you see, so it's proving a quite difficult to master these wand movements with the other hand. I feel like a first-year again, and that's in no offence to you four. But I'm afraid that your DADA lessons may just be theory based until the end of term!"

There were groans all around, though Minerva couldn't help feeling sorry for Professor Merrythought.

"Is it annoying?" Ro asked, looking pointedly at her bandaged arm.

"I keep forgetting, more than anything." Professor Merrythought smiled sadly. "I keep going to pick up my wand or quill, or even a piece of chalk for writing on the blackboard, and then having to switch to the other hand. It's no surprise that my handwriting has suddenly got so bad. And I keep looking down to touch my wedding ring, but then remembering it's in the belly of the beast in the basement!" She laughed dryly at her last statement.

"I didn't know you were married." Poppy commented, voicing Minerva's own curiosity.

Professor Merrythought nodded. "I was, but that's a story for another day my dear. The Chamber of Secrets is rumoured to exist somewhere in Hogwarts, built by one of the founders Salazar Slytherin. Legend tells that Slytherin didn't feel that Muggleborns deserved to learn magic, but when the other founders disagreed with him he build a chamber in which he housed a monster. This monster would be unleashed by the Heir of Slytherin himself, and they alone could control it to purge the school of whoever they deemed unworthy."

Silence greeted her words. Minerva looked over at Irma, worried how she would react to knowing that the accusations directed at Slytherin House could have some ground to them, but to her relief she only looked thoughtful.

"That would make sense, since it was only Muggleborns and no Slytherins that were petrified," Ro pointed out, "but who could this Heir be?"

A sudden thought appeared in Minerva's mind. "On the night we were attacked and Myrtle was killed, I saw someone at the end of the corridor." She recalled slowly, "It was all blurred without my glasses, but I'm sure I saw them talk to the creature. Maybe that could be the Heir?"

"You could very well be right, but I just don't think any student or staff here would want to do such a thing." Professor Merrythought mused aloud.

"Well all the other Slytherins seem eager enough to hate anyone who doesn't share their pureblood supremacy views." Irma muttered angrily, glaring down at the floor.

Minerva saw Ro hesitate for a moment before slowly asking "Irma, what did Druella mean when she called you a traitor to the House of Black?"

Irma didn't answer immediately, and Minerva thought for a moment that she was going to ignore the question. Eventually she started to speak, a troubled look on her face. "My mother is Lycoris Black, making me the cousin of Orion in third-year and Lucretia in fifth. She went against her family views by marryitng a Muggleborn wizard, the Arithmancer Franklin Vector, and as punishment they disowned her. After that she regretted marrying him- I don't remember them ever loving each other properly."

She paused briefly and swallowed hard before continuing "That's why I hate all the other Slytherins, why I always talk to you three or Septima and Millicent. They always talk about how they hate mudbloods and blood traitors when I've got one of each as a parent, not to mention two Muggleborns and a blood traitor as friends."

Minerva wasn't sure what to say and Ro looked incredibly guilty; Minerva realised that as a pureblood who had no problem with Muggleborns she'd be considered a blood traitor too. But Poppy slid out of her chair and walked over to stand in front of Irma with a shy smile on her face. "I'm glad you're not like the other Slytherins, and I'm glad that you're my friend."

Irma's cold exterior seemed to crack as Poppy hugged her, and for possibly the first time that Minerva could remember, her face was lit with a warm and genuine smile.

The remaining three weeks of term seemed to pass by in a blur. Hogwarts had turned back to normal- well, as normal as it ever was. Herbology was still filled with Professor Ainsley's rambling, History of Magic still came close to sending them all to sleep, and DADA did indeed consist mainly of theory but they were all too glad to have their Professor back to complain too much. All too quickly they found themselves at Hogsmeade Station, watching as the Hogwarts Express puffed its way into the station.

"It's strange to be leaving, isn't it?" Septima commented, "I mean, we haven't left for 10 months and now we're actually going home."

"We'll have to write to each other, it's going to be lonely back in London on my own." Poppy said pleadingly, looking around at her friends for signs of agreement.

Ro put an arm around Poppy's shoulder. "But it's only for six weeks." She pointed out as Irma nodded her agreement. "Not that long when you think about it."

Minerva stayed quiet as they talked; despite the fact that she was looking forward to seeing her parents and her brother again, she knew she would miss the magical world more than anything. Six weeks with her wand locked away alongside her mother's old wand was going to feel like forever.

"We'll be back before we know it." She smiled as the carriage door slid open and they all clambered aboard.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _I apologise if this isn't quite up to my usual standards, it was a little rushed as I wanted to leave you guys with something as I'm away for the next few days. The next chapter will probably be posted in a little under a week's time, so I thank you in advance for your patience._

 _I took a lot of liberties when it came to listing types of creatures who can petrify, according to canon the only two are gorgons and basilisks. Chimaera can vary a lot in terms of what animal parts they're made up according to Greek legend so that's what I was going for when I referred to different types._

 _Irma's family story here is 100% of my own invention. Lycoris Black is a canonical character who never married or had children, do I thought she would be an ideal candidate for Irma's and Septima's mum. As for Professor Merrythought's story, it isn't of any significance to the plot but it will be told in full later on._

 _Well here we are at the end of first year! Thank you to everyone who's reiewed, favourited and followed- I Neve thought this story would be so well received and I'm really grateful for all you're support. Here's for an equal enjoyable second year!_


	12. The Extra Guest

_September 1943_

* * *

Poppy didn't think that she'd ever looked forward to something more than she'd looked forward to getting to Kings Cross Station on September the first. The threat of London Bombings meant that she'd only seen her parents on the day they returned from Hogwarts at the end of the previous term before being ferried straight to the home of some distant cousin who lived in the countryside. She might not have minded, but sharing the poky cottage with five other children (her cousin's own two children plus three other evacuees) had been a bit of a squeeze.

Her cousin had packed her, her belongings and her owl Piper onto a train that took them to Kings Cross that morning, so it was alone that she wandered through the station looking for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Spotting a couple of children disappearing through the wall between Platforms Nine and Ten, Poppy squeezed her way through the crowd until she was standing before the entrance to the platform. She pushed her luggage trolley through, only to ram straight into someone on the other side of the wall and knock them flying onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" Poppy exclaimed, pushing her trolley away from the platform entrance before rushing over to help the other person up. Her concerned expression faltered however when the other person brushed black hair off of their face to reveal familiar square glasses.

"Hello to you too," Minerva grumbled despite her smile, wrapping her arms around Poppy once she'd got to her feet. After a couple of moments though she drew back, looking Poppy in the eye with a serious look on her face. "Have you eaten since I last saw you? I'm sure you've shrunk."

Poppy shrugged, looking down to avoid Minerva's sharp gaze. "Rationing makes food scarce, especially when you're sharing with five others. But it's fine, there'll be plenty to go around at the feast."

Minerva shook her head slightly. "I'll hold you to that, you know. Come on, we've got five minutes to find Ro before the Hogwarts Express gets here."

Pushing their luggage trolleys through the crowded platform was a struggle, but before they could find Ro, Poppy saw Irma and Septima standing by themselves next to one of the columns. Giving Minerva's sleeve a tug, Poppy steered her trolley towards them just as Millicent appeared from the other direction.

"Hi!" Millicent grinned as she saw the other first-years, or second-years now, Poppy had to remind herself. She was glad to see that the look of anxiety that had become the norm for Millicent during the petrification threat had vanished, replaced by her usual jolly smile. "Had a good summer?"

"It was good, thanks." Poppy smiled before turning to Septima and Irma. "What about you two?"

Septima nodded eagerly. "Great thanks, though I'm glad to be back." Irma said nothing, her eyes fixed downwards as if she was studying her shoes in great detail.

"Have any of you seen Ro?" Minerva asked just as the whistle of the train interrupted her. "She's usually fashionably late, but she's pushing it a bit this time."

The platform slowly cleared as students began to board the train, making it easier to pick people out, though there was still no sign of Ro. Poppy was really beginning to get worried when movement around the platform entrance caught her eye; Ro had just appeared through the barrier, with her luggage trolley being pushed by an woman of around 20. Judging by the wild brown hair that both she and Ro shared, including the identical red ribbons that kept their hair pulled back off their faces, she could only be Ro's older sister Erika. Poppy waved to catch their attention, but as they started to move towards the second-years the train's whistle blew again.

Knowing they wouldn't have much more time, Poppy started to push her trolley towards the open door of the train. The platform guards took their luggage down to the luggage carriage on the end of the train, leaving Poppy, Minerva, Irma, Septima and Millicent to climb aboard and wait for Ro. Erika tucked something cream and fluffy into a large pocket on the inside of Ro's robes, before kissing her forehead and pushing her towards the train with a shouted farewell. Just after Ro jumped onto the train the door slammed shut behind her, and relieved sighs were heard from all six girls.

"I thought they were going to leave you on the platform then!" Septima laughed as they shuffled through the tiny corridor, looking for an empty compartment. Thankfully they didn't have to go very far before they found one; Poppy, Minerva and Ro all squeezed seats on one side just as they'd done on the journey the previous year, and Millicent, Septima and Irma took up the seats on the other side.

"D'you remember what I said last year about it being a push getting the three of us into one compartment?" Ro asked once they'd all sat down, "because I was very wrong."

"Was that your sister, Ro?" Minerva asked. When Ro nodded, Minerva continued "What did she put in your robe pocket?"

Ro laughed as she reached into her robe and pulled out what looked to Poppy like a large, cream pom-pom. She yelped in surprise when it blinked open brilliant blue eyes, and let out a _prrp_ sound.

"Wha- what is it?" Millicent asked, her eyes fixed on the strange little creature.

"A puffskein." Ro said, lifting it up so they could all see it. "Erika works for the Ministry as a Dark Creature Catcher, and lately she's been rolling in them. We've got a whole Tribe of them living in our garden now."

Septima frowned slightly, holding out her hands towards Ro who threw the puffskein at her. Poppy's heart skipped a beat, but Ro assured her "Trust me, they don't mind being thrown about. My dad's brother brought his family round during the summer for a week, and by the time they left my cousin Emery had learned to juggle with them!" The puffskein interrupted her by starting to hum loudly, to which Ro added "See, that means he's happy!"

"They don't exactly look much like dark creatures," Septima commented as she turned the puffskein over to examine it.

Ro shook her head. "They're not really. Over the summer Erika and her colleagues got called out loads to deal with people trying to breed Fanged Puffskeins; they're feisty little things, more dangerous than you'd expect. But because the fangs only come out when the puffs are three months old, with the baby ones it was impossible to tell who was fanged and who wasn't. So they brought the whole lot home!"

"What did you do with them all?" Millicent asked in amazement, taking the puffskein from Septima and stroking between its ears.

"The fanged ones all get sent to Marizoologists, who decide where they'll get put. But the normal puffskeins make great pets, hence why I've got one!"

"What happened to Archer?" Poppy asked, referring to the huge and grumpy owl that Ro had owned last year.

Ro groaned, brushing her hair away from her right ear to reveal a small chunk missing from the top of the ear. She shook her head and patted Poppy's hand away as Poppy reached out to touch it. "Don't it' still bloody painful." She grimaced, "Archer decided my ear would taste nicer than the new food mum brought him from Eyelops. Kurtis is going to hang onto him this year to try and tame him down, and if all goes well I'll get him back in time for third-year." She didn't seem terribly happy about that thought, and Poppy was glad that her own owl was perfectly behaved.

"But puffskeins aren't on the recommended pets list." Irma pointed out, startling Poppy slightly as she hadn't spoken yet since they boarded the train. She sighed internally, having already become excited about having the little puffskein living in their dormitory, but her spirits lifted when Irma continued "You wouldn't be the first to smuggle an unapproved pet in though, one of the Slytherin seventh-years kept a Kneazle in their dormitory last year. It took until April for Professor Slughorn to realise, and he didn't mind even after he knew."

"That's settled then, he's coming to Gryffindor." Ro nodded in a satisfied manner. "Hey, he could be mine and Minerva's lucky charm when we get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Tam!" Poppy felt her nerves rise a little at the thought of two of her closest friends risking their necks on a regular basis. Their broom-mounted encounter with the Slytherins in their first flying lesson had been enough to put her off broomsticks for life.

"He does look a little bit like a lion's head I suppose." Minerva said, taking the puffskein from Millicent and fluffing up the fur around his face. "He'll be a good Gryffindor mascot."

An idea struck Poppy, pushing all her concerned thoughts to the back of her mind. "Then let's call him Godric!" she grinned at Ro and Minerva. "You know, Godric Gryffindor?"

"Pops you're a genius." Ro laughed, and Poppy blushed a little with embarrassment. "Godric it is then!"

"You've really got your heart set on those Quidditch places, haven't you!" Septima asked.

"We were practising all last year, I can't see how we won't get in!" Ro declared confidently.

Minerva nodded before asking "Have you thought about trying for the Ravenclaw team, Septima? You've always been a good flyer."

Septima shrugged indecisively. "I might do, I haven't decided yet. Millicent's already put her foot down though and said she's not joining me!" Millicent laughed at that, and Poppy was glad she wouldn't be the only one of the six not playing for their House team.

"You should," Ro said eagerly, "and you too, Irma."

Irma huffed quietly. "I want as little as possible to do with my House. Druella expressed quite clearly at the end of last term that she strongly disliked me, and the feeling is completely mutual."

Poppy and Minerva exchanged a concerned glance. "Well you've got us," Poppy said cheerily, "so you'll always have someone you can rely on." Irma's grateful smile and slight nod relieved Poppy's worries; although she hadn't been there when Druella was so nasty to Irma, she'd heard all the details from Minerva and Ro when the three were alone in their dormitory.

"Hey, Minerva," Ro's voice jerked Poppy from her thoughts, though she was glad for a change in subject. "D'you know who the Gryffindor Team Captain is this year? Marilyn Douglas will have left by now; a good thing as I've got my eye on that Seeker vest!"

Minerva was quiet for a moment with a thoughtful expression on her face. "My money's on either Fleamont, he was easily the best Chaser on the team last year even though Edgar and Linda were two years older than him."

Ro shook her head, and Poppy braced herself for the imminent debate. She'd grown accustomed to playing peacemaker when Ro and Minerva disagreed on something; although they never argued as such, they were both so stubborn that disputes could last for hours.

"I reckon it will be Alastor." A pause, and then "A galleon to the winner?"

Minerva smiled, a devious light in her green eyes. "You're on!" she nodded, and as they shook hands Poppy couldn't help but laugh quietly.

It turned out that Minerva won the bet; Ro scowled as she thrust a gold coin from her pocket into Minerva's waiting hand when they arrived in Hogsmeade to see Fleamont Potter with the Quidditch Captain badge pinned to his robes.

"I'm expecting to see you two at the Quidditch tryouts this year!" Fleamont said as he walked over to Minerva and Ro, not bothering with a greeting. "I often watched you practising on the training pitch while I was studying for my O.W.L.s in the library, you're both good flyers already."

"Fleamont Potter, are you really recruiting for your Quidditch team already!" Sounded another voice, and Poppy looked away from Minerva and Ro's ecstatic faces to see Augusta Brown joining them. "We haven't even made it to Hogwarts yet!"

"How did your O.W.L.s go?" Poppy asked both the prefects.

Augusta's friendly smile twisted instantly into a bitter frown. "Failed Charms," she said bluntly, "everything else was Exceeds Expectations, apart from an Outstanding in Transfiguration."

"That's still good," Minerva pointed out, "especially that O."

"Exactly what I keep telling her." Fleamont said, looking pointedly at Augusta. "Professor Dumbledore's always said that Transfiguration is one of the hardest subjects there is. I got Es in everything, by the way." He added to Minerva, before addressing Augusta again. "We need to go, we're seeing the other sixth-year prefects in one of the carriages and I don't think Walburga will want to be kept waiting." Fleamont and Augusta both winced evidently at the mention of Walburga Black, and Poppy felt Irma stiffen from where she stood beside her, before they said hurried goodbyes and ran to the steps that lead off the platform.

"We ought to get going too, or we'll never get a carriage to ourselves." Septima pointed out after Augusta and Fleamont had rushed off.

Minerva gave her a puzzled look. "Don't we take the boats across the lake like we did last year?"

"Nah, that's just the first-years." Ro reassured her, laughing at Minerva's extremely relieved expression. "Ogg's calling them over now see, and look! It's Hagrid!"

Poppy's head whipped around at Ro's exclamation, her gaze following where Ro pointed to the other end of the station. Sure enough, the unmistakeable figure of Hagrid was guiding the throng of first-years towards the lake for their boat-trip to the castle. When Ro hollered a greeting he looked over and gave them a cheerful wave, before focusing back on his task.

"I'm really glad he's found a way to stay at Hogwarts." Millicent commented as they headed towards the steps.

"I don't think I've ever seen him look so at ho-" Poppy stopped midsentence, staring at the carriages and the creatures that pulled them. They were undoubtedly the most intriguing animals that Poppy had ever seen; similar in shape to the pegasuses she had read about in storybooks as a young child, but very different in their appearance. Rather than gleaming white fur and feathers, Poppy thought she could see the skeletons of the animals through their thin black fur, and their wings resembled those of an enormous bat.

"Pops... Poppy?" Poppy looked around, startled, when she realised Ro was calling her name. "Are you alright?" she asked, laying a hand on Poppy's shoulder, "you just stopped all of a sudden like you'd seen a ghost for the first time!"

Still entranced by the winged horses, it was a couple of moments before Poppy fully registered Ro's question. "No, no I mean yes I'm fine," she said in a flustered manner, before pointing at the nearest winged horse. "Do you know what creatures those are?"

Ro turned and looked in the direction she was pointing in, but turned back around almost immediately to look at Poppy with a raised eyebrow. "Pops, there isn't anything there." She said, her voice a mixture of confusion and concern.

"But there is!" Poppy insisted, shrugging Ro's hand away and taking a few steps towards the winged horse. It snorted quietly as she held out a hand, but didn't shy away as she gently touched its muzzle.

Behind her, Poppy could sense the others all watching her. "Can anyone else see anything?" Septima asked in a low voice.

"They're Thestrals." Irma said, moving forward to stand next to Poppy. She held out a hand and moved it vaguely in the Thestral's direction; Poppy took hold of her wrist and guided her to place her hand on the Thestral's nose as she'd done. "I can't feel anything, nor can I see it." Irma explained, turning so she was facing both Poppy and the others. "Thestrals can only be seen by those who have seen death."

A stone seemed to drop in Poppy's stomach. "Back in London," she mused quietly, "with the Blitz. The house across the street was hit directly, and when we came out of the shelter I saw Mrs Allen..." Her voice wobbled dangerously, but she was saved from finishing by Minerva rushing forward and putting an arm around her shoulder and Irma taking her trembling hand in hers.

"You don't have to think about it, not for another year." Minerva said quietly in her ear. Millicent and Ro had already clambered into the carriage, and were waiting by the doorway to take Poppy's arms and help her aboard. She said quietly between Minerva and Irma while the carriage started to move through the Forest towards the castle, but after a while she lifted her head with an attempt at confidence.

"You're right." She said, turning to look at Minerva. "I don't have to think about London, or the War, or anything like that until next summer." Her bag rustled where is sat by her feet; she leaned down and pulled Godric out and sat him on her lap, where is hummed quietly. "The most we've got to worry about is Quidditch trials and Abraxas' lot- no more Chamber of Secrets or petrifications. This year is going to be good."

There were nods and smiled of agreement all around, and with her best friends surrounding and supporting her Poppy couldn't have felt happier.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
And second-year is rolling at last! Sorry for the longer than usual wait between chapters, as I think I mentioned I was away last weekend so it's taken a bit of catching up to get back into the usual routine.

I've actually got most of Ro's family members mapped out on a rough family tree (done quietly during a very boring biology lesson in the back of my planner!), and it's pretty much like the 1940s equivalent of the Weasleys. Ro herself has four siblings, plus three cousins from her late father's brother. More will be revealed as time goes by and more of them are properly introduced, but rest assured that they're all pretty cool characters.

Godric the Puffskein is going to feature highly this year, and it's going to be super fun! But I'm not revealing anymore, you'll simply have to wait and see what happens :D


	13. At First you don't Suceed

_October 1943_

* * *

"If Fleamont does not get his list onto this board within two minutes I am going to hex someone!"

Minerva chuckled quietly as she listened to Ro's raging, checking her watch for what felt like the hundredth time in the past minute. Fleamont had told the prospective Quidditch players that the new team list would be on the Gryffindor notice board by 4pm, but he was already 10 minutes late. She and Ro weren't the only ones waiting around; Larry Spencer-Moon was twiddling his thumbs nervously where he sat next to Minerva on the settee, and the fourth-year girls could be heard whispering rapidly somewhere behind her.

The tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had been held on the first weekend in October, and although she didn't want to tempt fate Minerva was quite pleased with her performance. She'd tried out for one of the Chaser positions alongside Larry, Cleatus Weasley also from third-year, Edwin Doyle from her own year and Anthea Newton from fourth year, and as Fleamont already held one of the positions she knew that three of them were going to be disappointed. She felt the most for Ro though; she'd been one of six people to try out for the Seeker position and had been worrying almost constantly since the tryouts.

A creaking sound caught Minerva's attention, and the eyes of everybody in the Common Room darted towards the portrait hole where Fleamont was entering. Seeming to sense the tense atmosphere, he hurried over to stand in front of the fireplace and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

"The Gryffindor Quidditch Team for 1943 to 1944," he began with an air of importance, "will be as follows. Our Keeper and two Beaters have not changed from last year; that's Alastor Moody as Keeper and Ernest Lawrence and Nancy Campbell as Beaters. I will continue to play a Chaser position, but since our other two Chasers Edgar and Linda and our Seeker Marilyn graduated in the summer there have been three positions to fill."

Minerva's heart rate quickened, and she subconsciously began gripping her fingers until her knuckles turned white.

"Joining me as Chasers will be Larry Spencer-Moon and Minerva McGonagall, and our new Seeker is Rolanda Hooch."

A great cheer rose in the Common Room, punctuated by Ro's ecstatic "YES!" Minerva could feel herself grinning like a Cheshire cat as Larry was congratulated noisily by Ernest and Nancy, and it was a while before Fleamont could make himself heard again.

"I've ordered the new team robes from Madame Malkins, they should arrive in the next week." Fleamont shouted over the din, "Practises will start tomorrow night, and we're playing Slytherin first at the end of November!"

The four weeks before the first match seemed to fly by- in a great contrast to their previous year, the term so far had been relatively quiet. Professor Beery had returned to his teaching post with his head back to its correct size and shape, relieving the students of Professor Ainsley's more obscure teaching methods. To make up for the three weeks of solid theory work at the end of last year in Defence Against the Dark Arts, due to Professor Merrythought getting to grips with using her wand in her non-dominant hand, she had done nothing but spell work with the second-years since term began. Unlike Professor Kettleburn, who had a range of prosthetics he used in place of the two limbs he'd lost over the years, Professor Merrythought had simply left her wrist stump alone and did everything with only her remaining hand.

To Minerva's surprise, they hadn't been bothered even once by Abraxas Malfoy and his gang of Slytherin second-years. It crossed her mind that the reason may be because they were too occupied by Quidditch Practise of their own, but when the match day arrived and the start time drew closer she refused to let herself think about it. She hadn't mentioned it to Poppy as she was worrying about them enough already without Minerva's suspicions making it worse.

"Do you think Abraxas or any of his lot will be on their Quidditch team?" Minerva asked Ro when they were in the changing room before the match.

There was quiet for a moment before Ro replied "Could be I suppose, but who cares? We'll beat them with ease, nothing can get the Quaffle past Alastor." She buttoned up her scarlet robe with HOOCH emblazoned on the back above the number 7 and pulled her goggles over her face before turning around and asking "How do I look?"

"Like a professional." Minerva said with an excited grin, pulling her own robe over her red and gold striped jumper. She couldn't help glancing over her shoulder to look in the mirror behind her, the sight of the word MCGONAGALL written above the gold number 6 on the back filling her with pride. Together they left the changing room, but the moment they stepped out the door Poppy rushed forward and grabbed Minerva into a tight hug.

Minerva staggered back slightly under the force of Poppy's embrace. "We'll be careful, I promise!" she said as she patted Poppy's shoulder reassured

"Yeah," Ro agreed as Poppy jumped at her and wrapped her arms around Ro's neck. "Just look out there; blue sky, no wind, this is going to be a breeze! I caught the Snitch after only 10 minutes in yesterday's practise, give it half an hour tops and we'll be celebrating back in the Gryffindor Common Room."

Poppy didn't look very convinced, but she put a smile on her face before running off towards the spectator stands. Minerva and Ro joined the rest of the Team, Minerva taking her place next to Fleamont and Larry at the head of the team while Ro brought up the rear. Fleamont had given his pre-match pep talk speech at the end of yesterday's practise, so it was in silence that the Gryffindors picked up their brooms and marched onto the pitch.

Mr Spinnet, who was refereeing as per usual, instructed Fleamont and the Slytherin Captain Edward Nott to shake hands before blowing his whistle. All fourteen players mounted their brooms and started to hover lightly as the Snitch was released, followed by the two Bludgers. All eyes were on the Quaffle as Mr Spinnet raised it into the air, and the moment it left his hand everyone shot forwards. As she dove towards the Quaffle, Minerva saw Ro darting into the air out of the corner of her eye to presumably follow the Snitch, Slytherin's seeker Owle Bullock right on her tail.

"And Slytherin Chaser Lament has control of the Quaffle," squeaked the voice from the Commentary box; Minerva stole a glance upwards to see the sixth-year Ravenclaw Fillius Flitwick behind the magical megaphone. "He passes to Lestrange and nears the scoring hoops, but Gryffindor's long-standing Keeper Moody stops the Quaffle!"

Minerva had been closely flanking Lestrange all the while Slytherin had been in possession, but the moment Alastor caught the Quaffle she darted between him and Lament and held out a hand in signal. Alastor tossed the Quaffle to her and she caught it under one arm before soaring towards the Slytherin end of the pitch, diving steeply as two Slytherin players shot towards her and trying not to smile too much as she heard them collide painfully above her. She narrowly missed a Bludger that had been shot towards her by Orion Black, tossing the Quaffle at Larry before rolling sharply out of the way. Twisting back upright, she flew between Larry and Lament as they neared the scoring hoops and held her breath as Larry passed to Fleamont who lobbed the Quaffle at the hoop.

Frustrated shouts were heard all around as the Quaffle bounced off the foot of the Slytherin keeper straight into Lestrange's arms, and Minerva groaned as she recognised the face of Slytherin's keeper. She countered Abraxas Malfoy's smirk with a disgusted leer before turning around and following the Quaffle's progress back up the pitch.

The first goal of the match went to Slytherin as Lament shot the Quaffle right above Alastor's head, and before Minerva knew it Slytherin were somehow 50 points ahead of Gryffindor's zero. Ernest vented his anger by smashing the nearest bludger with his bat, a shocked look appearing on his face when he hit the third Slytherin Chaser right in the stomach and she plummeted off her broom and fell several feet before righting herself just above the ground.

Ernest's unexpected attack seemed to bring about a turning point in the match, though somehow it went even less in Gryffindor's favour. Alastor was under constant attack from the two Bludgers, meaning he had to concentrate on saving his own neck rather than the Quaffle, and his swearing increased in both volume and viciousness with each goal he let in. A single goal from Fleamont brought the total up to 90-10 to Slytherin, but the cheers from the Gryffindor supporters down in the stands were short-lived as Lament seized the Quaffle. As Lament zoomed past her and lifted the Quaffle, Minerva swooped in front of him just as he threw it to Lestrange, caught it, and carried on towards the scoring hoop. As Abraxas dove to intercept her shoot, Minerva threw the Quaffle upwards and shouted in delight when it soared through the hoop.

"That's 90-20 to Slytherin, and Spencer-Moon in possession of the Quaffle." Flitwick reported. The Slytherin Chasers flew menacingly towards him as he turned back towards the scoring hoop, but a reckless dive from Fleamont sent them all scattering. Minerva was getting her hopes up for another goal when a Bludger appeared from nowhere and knocked into the tail of his broom. The Quaffle dropped downwards like a stone and straight into Fleamont's arms; he tossed it up to Minerva and she flew towards the hoops to try and score.

Confusion crossed her mind when she registered that she couldn't see where Abraxas was, though her question was answered moments later when she felt a heavy weight crash into her left side. Minerva was forced to let go of the Quaffle to save herself from falling after Abraxas' barging attack, but shrill whistle reassured her that Spinnet had seen the foul.

Fleamont took the penalty shoot, pumping a fist into the air when Abraxas failed to stop him from scoring. Larry caught the Quaffle from Lestrange who had taken possession after the penalty; he passed it to Minerva but as she flew towards the scoring hoops she was slammed into a second time. This time the attacker was the burly Captain Nott himself, his much larger weight knocking her clean off her broom and left her hanging on with just one hand gripping her Comet 180.

Ignoring the collective gasp that sounded from all around the stadium and panting with the effort, Minerva heaved herself back into the broomstick just in time to see Gryffindor Beater Nancy Campbell take a crashing blow to her upper back from a Bludger. She wasn't as lucky as Minerva had been, plummeting downwards and hitting the ground with a quiet groan. Minerva took her own penalty awarded for Nott's collision, but was blocked yet again by an increasingly smug Abraxas. Hissing in frustration, she went to follow Lament and the Quaffle back up the pitch but the words "Hooch dives for the Snitch with Bullock in fierce pursuit!" from the commentary box caught her attention.

As she watched Ro fly for the Snitch, Minerva quickly worked out that if Ro caught it then she would bring Gryffindor into the lead with a 180-90 score. "Come on Ro!" she shouted; Ro was now inches away from the Snitch, holding onto the handle of her Silver Arrow with just one hand as she reached out. Only another second and she would-

CRACK

Minerva screamed as a Bludger smashed into the side of Ro's head, though her voice was drowned out by cheers from the Slytherins when Owle Bullock streamed past her and snatched the Snitch out of the air. By some miracle Ro was still clinging onto her broom, but she'd been flipped upside down and was losing height fast until Alastor zoomed in and caught her in his arms.

Professor Dumbledore was already on the pitch when Minerva landed a few feet away from Alastor and Ro, with Poppy running not far behind him. Before Minerva reached them, Professor Dumbledore had taken Ro from Alastor and laid her on a stretcher which he floated behind him out of the pitch and presumably towards the Hospital Wing.

"Are you hurt!" a voice distracted her from Professor Dumbledore, and she turned to see Poppy's anxious face looking up at her.

"I'm fine, I promise you." Minerva reassured her, taking her into a gentle hug. "Come on, let's go and see Ro."

Ro had indeed been taken up to the Hospital Wing, and when Minerva and Poppy arrived up there 10 minutes later with the rest of the Gryffindor Team and Augusta Brown she appeared to be just coming round from unconsciousness. Her goggles had been removed and a transparent, gunky paste plastered most of the left side of her face.

"What happened?" Ro asked slowly, opening her right eye a crack as she lifted her hands towards her head. "Why's my face covered in slime?"

Poppy was there in an instant, taking hold of Ro's arms and placing them gently on her stomach. "You can't touch that, it's a bruise soothing paste and needs to be there." She said firmly, "You were hit in the head with a Bludger and knocked out. How do you feel?"

"Right as rain." Ro said, pushing herself into a sitting position and making Poppy frown.

"You don't really look it." Minerva said, holding up three gloved fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Ro squinted for a moment before saying "Six." Minerva sighed with a slight smile as Ro continued "Who won the game?"

"Slytherin caught the snitch." Augusta said gloomily. "To be really honest, that game was a bit of a disaster. Alastor, what happened there with those Quaffles?"

Alastor shrugged angrily. "Those snakes had a bunch of new tactics I wasn't prepared for. Kept catching me off guard, and their Beaters were better than I expected."

"They definitely had a good aim." Larry sighed, looking across to where Nancy was laid unmoving in the next bed. "Madame Quinine said she's broken two ribs and will need a week off from practising."

"There won't be a practise next week anyway, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have their match next weekend so have booked the pitch every evening." Alastor told him. "But Fleamont said that after that's over well be going at it full strength again."

"Where is Fleamont?" Minerva asked, looking around at the crowd surrounding Ro's bed and not finding the team Captain. She skirted around the back of the other team members to stand on the other side of the bed, but on the way her legs hit something solid and she barely saved herself from falling face-first onto the floor.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Poppy asked as she took Minerva's elbow to pull her back upright.

Minerva nodded, frowning at the ground she'd just tripped over. "I'm sure there was something there a moment ago."

"There probably was." Augusta said, sharing an exasperated glance with Alastor. She gave the air a harsh kick and Minerva took a surprised step backwards when a quiet groan sounded. "Fleamont, will you get out from under that blasted cloak?"

Another groan sounded from the invisible thing that was apparently Fleamont. "You're going to have to explain now." Alastor prompted Augusta, gesturing towards Minerva, Poppy, Ro, Larry and Ernest who were all looking as confused as Minerva felt.

Augusta sighed. "Fleamont has an invisibility cloak, something he inherited from his father, and his favourite use for it in times like these is sulking where no-one can see him. We've kept this a secret for the past six years, so would prefer it if the rest of the House didn't know."

Minerva nodded solemly, as did Poppy, Larry and Ernest. Ro on the other hand was looking very thoughtful until she grinned tiredly and said, to the laughter of everyone else, "How much d'you think he'd charge to let me use it to avoid being targeted in the next Quidditch match?"

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_ _After writing this chapter, I have concluded that Quidditch is both super fun but super hard to write xD. I think this is the first chapter in the story that's been a push to finish. But it's done, and I do like it a lot. Spectacular losses are great, but rest assured there will be plenty of spectacular wins in the future!_

 _The idea of Fleamont sulking under his invisibility cloak is another of my favourite headcanons that's come from this story. I reckon James Potter would have done it too but that's beside the point. I wanted to introduce the cloak at some point because we'll be seeing it again a few times before Fleamont and his cloak graduate at the end of third year ;)_

 _I realise I'm moving the story quite quickly right now- second chapter on second year and we're already in late November! My reasoning is that most of second year's events will be happening past January (though Christmas will be eventful too!) so I want to get to that point fairly quickly no figured you guys would prefer skipping through the less interesting stuff over enduring several filler chapters, I know I certainly would._

 _Next chapter may actually include Christmas- I'll check back on my notes but you'll have to wait until the weekend to find out!_


	14. Seasons Greetings

_December 1943_

* * *

Ro was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing the morning after the Quidditch Match, though she thought her early dismissal was probably due to her driving Madame Quinine around the bend with her constant complaining more than her being ready to leave. Madame Quinine had given her a tin containing the slimy bruise paste to take back to her dorm with her and instructions to apply it every night, but the stuff felt so strange on her face that she had no intention of following her orders. The only way she could persuade Poppy to let her not use the paste was by giving Poppy the tin to add to the makeshift medical box she kept in her bedside table, though Ro was certain that Poppy would find more use for it than she would.

No Quidditch practise for all of the next week due to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams booking the pitch every evening wasn't as torturous as Ro expected, as Nancy still in the Hospital Wing meant they wouldn't have been able to practise properly anyway. She finally returned to the Gryffindor Common Room the day before the match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, which was won by Ravenclaw in a very close and lengthy game. Septima had gone through with Minerva's idea of trying out for the Ravenclaw team and flew as one of the Chasers; Ro was very thankful that the Hufflepuff beaters weren't so good at aiming at the opposition's heads so Septima finished the match unscathed.

Fleamont had promised to get team practises up and running again as soon as the pitch was free, but on the morning of the first practise Ro woke to see snow falling so fast she could barely see the Forbidden Forest from out the dormitory window. It was agreed by everyone that there was no way they could safely practise in those conditions, and there was no real need to practise in blizzards like they needed to in rain as blizzards on match days were likely to leave the match cancelled. With plenty of free time due to the cancelled practise, the Sunday evening found Ro sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room with Poppy and Minerva starting to write out her Christmas cards.

"Isn't it a little early to be doing that?" Minerva asked, giving her a skeptical look before turning back to her own sheet of parchment.

"Should I just remind you that I have a mother, four aunts, three uncles, two grandparents, four siblings and seven cousins to send Christmas greetings to!" Ro laughed at Minerva's shocked expression. "Plus we've only got a week and a half until school finishes for the year and I'm not risking all the school owls being out when I need to send them all."

"You could always borrow Fergus if you needed to," Poppy pointed out, "I've only got one letter to send home so he'll be in the Owlery for most of this month."

Ro nodded gratefully. "I think I'll take you up on that, thanks Pops. Anyway," she turned her gaze back to Minerva, "if you're not writing Christmas cards, what are you doing?"

"The essay on turning animals into water goblets that Professor Dumbledore wants in by Tuesday." Minerva said briskly before picking up her quill again and continuing without another word.

Ro slumped back into her chair with a groan. "I thought it was just to practise the spell. I've done that, watch!" Seeing Godric perched on Poppy's shoulder, Ro pulled her wand out from behind her ear and tapped him three times before saying "Vera Verto." Godric did indeed turn into a water goblet, but it was left with a covering of pale custard-coloured fuzz.

"Hey!" Poppy protested, snatching Godric the water goblet from her shoulder and examining him in great detail. "I hope you know how to turn him back."

"Minerva will, I think I need some more practise before I have another go at that."

Rolling her eyes despite the smile Ro could clearly see on her face, Minerva quickly turned Godric back into a proper puffskein. Suddenly remembering something she'd been intending to show them since it had arrived via Owl Post from home the previous day, Ro sprinted back up to the dormitory and took a small cardboard box out from under her bed. When she returned to the Common Room, she set the box down in between her and Poppy and opened it with a flourish to reveal a second puffskein.

Poppy grinned as she picked him up and set him down on her lap next to Godric. "Where did you get him from?" she asked excitedly.

"I Owled Erika last week and asked for another one; I can tell you've got quite attached to Godric and wanted one for myself." Ro grinned as she explained, taking the new puffskein from Poppy and holding him up above her head. "So that means Godric's officially yours now Pops!"

"What are you going to call him?" Minerva asked.

Ro glanced down at the Christmas card she was writing; the first words on the parchment read: To Uncle Georg and Aunt Mabel. "I'm calling him Georg." She said, "After one of my uncles, my dad's brother. He's a marizoologist, and puffs are one of his favourite animals to study. Apart from the fact you get hair everywhere, I think Aunt Mabel's going to have a heart attack one day with the amount of shedding they've got all over their cottage. The cousins think it's great though."

"How old are your cousins again Ro?" Minerva asked; Ro had gone through all her closer family members on the train to Hogwarts, but she didn't blame Minerva for forgetting some of the smaller details. "Your Uncle Georg's children I mean."

"Emery just turned eleven last month, Heidi is ten in March and Anja was nine in the summer." Ro said, "So Emery'll be here this time next year, and I wouldn't surprise if he brings both his puffs with him. He took them off Erika like I did with Godric and Georg; learned to juggle with them over the summer, it's pretty impressive."

Poppy looked scandalised at the thought, but Minerva had the tiniest smirk on her face. "Perhaps you should get a third one for Christmas?" she suggested, earning her a pillow slap from Poppy. But the idea had already been planted in Ro's mind; she pulled Erika's card out from the pile that she'd already written and started to write furiously.

With the feverish excitement of Christmas firmly descended upon Hogwarts, the last few days before the Christmas Holidays passed by in no time at all. Professor Dumbledore went through all the Gryffindor dormitories collecting a list of students who wanted to stay for the holiday, and Ro had added her name to the list straight after Poppy and Minerva. Irma and Septima had both chosen to stay at Hogwarts too, but Millicent was going back home.

"It'll be strange being at home for Christmas after what happened last year." Millicent had commented on the morning the Hogwarts Express arrived to take everyone not staying back to Kings Cross.

"I did hear Professor Beery asking Professor Dippet if there could be another pantomime this year," Poppy said wistfully, "but he said a very definite no."

Ro laughed "I wonder why that is!" Hearing Poppy sigh, she said "Don't tell me you'd have wanted a repeat of last year?"

"It was good until the Hall exploded and we all nearly caught fire." Septima put in with a grin. "I think I'd prefer a slightly quieter Christmas this year!"

It turned out to be a much quieter Christmas, with most of the students all going home for the holidays. As Irma and Septima would have both been the only ones left in their dormitories, Ro, Poppy and Minerva managed to persuade Professor Dumbledore to let them sleep in their dormitory during the holidays. There were very few Gryffindors left to mind- the only remaining students were Augusta Brown, Lester Longbottom, Alastor Moody and his younger brother in first-year, Donald Moody, who was staying in the Hufflepuff dorms.

When Ro awoke on Christmas morning, the first thing she heard was Septima saying, most likely to herself "It's nice to wake up on Christmas morning not in the Hospital Wing and not trying to cough up a lung." Ro burst out laughing, instantly waking up everyone else in the dormitory and leaving Septima looking mildly embarrassed.

"I didn't mean for anyone else to hear that." She admitted before dangling over the end of the bed to pick up the few presents that had appeared overnight.

"Your point still stands though." Poppy giggled as she started unwrapping the first of her gifts; Ro was very pleased that there wasn't going to be any waiting around like there had been with the teachers last Christmas.

Poppy's two presents turned out to be, to no-one's surprise, two hefty books which she immediately added to the already bulging bookshelf. Septima received a small compass on a chain and a few other bronze contraptions that Ro recognised from Astronomy classes, and Irma's gifts were a small black necklace with a dark green stone in the centre and a pluming black quill.

Ro was glancing between the two sets of gifts, thinking to herself how incredibly different they were considering the two were twins, until Irma caught her eye and explained "These came from our mother and Septima's gifts were from our father. That's always how it's been."

There was quiet for a moment, before Minerva said softly "And you're ok with that?"

Septima and Irma glanced at each other and shrugged. "It's normal," Septima said, "I think as far as they're concerned, I'm solely our father's child and Irma's just our mother's. It doesn't work brilliantly, but we get by. Come on, let's see what you two have got."

Minerva lifted up a broom servicing kit, complete with a pair of clippers for lose twigs, a tin of wood polish and a tiny broom compass. "This is going to be very useful, the Comet's starting to look a bit ragged after all the practise we've been doing."

"Hey look, we've got the same!" Ro grinned as she pulled the wrapping paper off a very similar kit. "This is from Tavin and Kurtis, Mallory sent me... this." Her face fell as she caught sight of a thick book on the History of the Ministry of Magic. "You'd think as my brother he'd have more a clue about what I'm interested in." She muttered half to herself as she opened a Gryffindor-coloured scarf from her mother and then turned her attention to a large box from Erika. The wrapping had many small holes stabbed into it, and it was with great excitement that she tore off the wrapping paper and lifted the flaps on the cardboard box to reveal a cream-coloured mass of fluff.

"Don't tell me you've got another puffskein!" Septima laughed as Ro lifted him out of the box and kicked it away onto the floor. She sat the puffskein on the bed next to Georg, and beckoned for Poppy to throw Godric over.

"My cousin Emery learned how to juggle with two puffskeins he got over the summer, and I wanted to have a go with three." Ro explained, "So Poppy, if you don't mind-"

"Rolanda Hooch if you so much as try to juggle with these three puffskeins I will put puffskein fluff in your Christmas dinner!" Poppy said with so much bite to her voice that Ro couldn't help but laugh. Poppy's own resolve only lasted a few seconds before she too was in giggles.

The Great Hall looked spectacular when they arrived for their Christmas lunch, with gold decorations hanging from the walls and the ceiling enchanted to look like a snow-filled sky. There were only two tables set up with plates and glasses, one for the staff and one for the few students that remained. Augusta, Lester and Alastor were already seated at one end of the student table with Donald Moody and a couple of Hufflepuff first-year boys next to them. Alfred Diggory and Robert Fawley were the only other second-years still at the school, then there were a few older Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who Ro couldn't recognise. Tom Riddle, the Head Boy, arrived last and sat on the seat at the opposite end to Augusta and the other Gryffindors, looking disapprovingly at Hagrid who hovering uncertainly between the two tables.

"Get over here and sit down, Hagrid!" Alastor shouted good-naturedly , and Hagrid took the seat between Lester and a Ravenclaw sixth-year. Ro sat down opposite him with Minerva, Poppy, Irma and Septima filling up the seats around her. Professor Dippet made a brief speech, with many failed interruptions from Professor Beery when he mentioned the previous year's pantomime, before the food appeared on their plates and heaps of wizarding crackers which Hagrid quickly passed around all the students.

Before long, deafening blasts were echoing around the hall as students and staff pulled their crackers. With the Santa hat that Hagrid pulled from his cracker Ro thought he only needed to grow a beard before he could easily pass off as Santa Claus, and the enormous pink bonnet on Alastor's head was enough to send them all into giggles whenever they saw it. It was when they looked to the staff table though that they laughed the hardest; Professor Dippet was looking remarkably dignified in a small red fez, Professor Dumbledore had swapped his usual wizard's hat for a straw boater, Professor Merrythought was wearing a violently green top hat that looked very interesting against her navy blue robes, and Professor Kettleburn's pirate hat was very appropriate considering his wooden arm and leg. Ro couldn't resist sneaking a peak under the staff table, and met Professor Merrythought's grin when she caught sight of knitted socks sticking out over the shoes of every member of staff.

The Christmas Dinner was undoubtedly the best food that Ro had ever tasted, so it was approaching three hours later when they trooped back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Poppy and Irma were both on the sofa talking quietly, while Septima was sat on the floor in front of them with her astronomy instruments spread out all around her. Ro and Minerva had both brought their broom servicing kits down from the dormitory and were working intently on their broomsticks; it was only when she was sponging wood polish onto the handle of her Silver Arrow did Ro realise how much of a bad shape it was in. There were bits of stick littered around her armchair by the time she had finished, and the sun had set outside leaving the only light source as the fireplace and the few lamps in the Common Room. She joined in with Poppy, Irma and Septima's conversation for a while, discussing what subjects they wanted to take up in their third year, before Ro glanced back at Minerva. She had put down her Comet 180 and was just staring into the fireplace, a thick woollen blanket spread over her lap and her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Are you ok?" Ro asked her quietly with a look of concern etched across her face. "You've gone very quiet."

"Hmm?" Minerva looked blankly at Ro for a moment or two before shaking her head slightly. "To be honest I'm not really feeling too great."

Knowing how stubborn Minerva usually was, Ro knew she had to be feeling bad if she would admit to being unwell so fast. "You don't feel it either," she frowned as she felt Minerva's forehead, noting how warm she was despite the fact that Ro could see her hands shivering slightly. "Now, are you going to come quietly back to the dormitory or do I need to get Poppy to come and drag you? Because I know she will."

Minerva smiled with a half-hearted laugh. "I'll come quietly." She slowly got to her feet and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, before letting Ro take hold of her elbow and walk with her towards the stairs.

"Min's not well so we're going back to the dormitory." Ro called to Poppy, Irma and Septima over her shoulder. "You guys don't have to come if-"

She trailed off with a smile when she heard feet pattering towards her, turning around to see Septima standing next to her. "It's Christmas, we celebrate together." Septima pointed out as Poppy appeared on Minerva's other side and felt her forehead.

Irma pulled the door shut once they arrived back into the dormitory, and Poppy wasted no time in tucking Minerva back into her bed. "I'm sure you're just getting a fever or cold, they're not uncommon at this time of year." She said as she grabbed a book from the bookcase, checked the contents page briefly before flicking through to a certain page. "You just need a good rest and plenty of fluids, I'm sure I could go down to the kitchen and ask the House Elves if I-"

"Poppy." Minerva interrupted her with a tired smile. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm sure I'm absolutely fine. There's nothing to worry about." Poppy make a disapproving noise but put the book away nonetheless.

"I think we could all do with some sleep, actually." Irma suggested as Septima yawned widely. "It's well past the usual curfew."

Agreeing with Irma, they all quickly changed into their nightdresses and got back into their beds. As Ro blew out the lamp that had been lighting the dormitory, Poppy's voice sounded from the other end of the room. "Are you sure you're alright, Minerva."

"Go to sleep, mother." Ro teased, saving Minerva from replying as she looked to be already asleep. "She'll be fine by tomorrow morning."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Sorry it's been so long since the last update, college has been being a pain D:_

 _We've reached the point now where the pace will start to slow down a little for the rest of second-year, I know things have been going very fast up until now. Next chapter follows on directly from this one, and if you want a clue as to what's up with Minerva I suggest you look closely at the story summary ;)_

 _Irma and Septima's family dynamics is an interesting thing that will definitely be explored more in times to come. To put it simply, Mr and Mrs Vector may as well be divorced for all the love they have for each other. As for the twins themselves, it's very much that Septima is their father's child and Irma is their mother's child, even down to their names. I won't give away too much now, but it rest assured that it will get plenty of limelight as the story progresses._

 _Writing the Christmas Dinner part was hilarious. Just try to imagine Alastor Moody wearing a flowery bonnet; if you try and tell me that didn't make you smile then you are lying._


	15. In Sickness and In Health

_December 1943_

* * *

To Poppy's growing concern, Minerva was no better when she awoke early the next morning. Rolling out of her bed and pulling a cardigan over her nightdress, Poppy tiptoed over to Minerva's bedside and felt her forehead again, taken aback by the raging heat that was pulsing from her skin.

"Is she alright?" A voice in the gloom startled Poppy, and she turned to see a shadowy figure sitting up in Irma's bed.

"Her temperature is soaring, she's definitely got a fever." Poppy said, cursing the lack of light in the dormitory before an idea crossed her mind. She took her wand from her bedside table, looped it around in the air and whispered "Lumos." The tip glowed a brilliant white light, casting shadows all around the room which she instantly regretted when a quiet groan sounded from Septima's bed.

"Pops, what's going on?" Septima asked, sitting up and holding an arm over her face to shield her eyes from the light. "Is Minerva really ill?"

Poppy shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," she admitted, "fevers aren't uncommon, but it feels like she's on fire." She left Minerva's side and knelt down in front of the bookcase, searching until she found the book she'd had out last night. "It could be a variety of things," she said as she read, "fevers are a symptom of a lot of illnesses. Can someone wake her up for me please?"

She continued leafing through the book as Irma rose from her bed and walked over to Minerva, treading silently around Ro's bed as she was still asleep and snoring quietly. "Minerva? Minerva, you need to wake up for me." Irma said softly, shaking Minerva's shoulders gently until she opened her eyes.

As Poppy moved back towards Minerva's bed, she lifted her head slightly and asked "What time is it?" in a hoarse voice.

"A little after 7 o'clock," Septima called, "How are you feeling, Minerva?"

Minerva paused to consider, sitting up against the back of her bed where Irma had put a pillow. "My throat hurts." She said, prompting Poppy to reach over and check her glands.

"Could be tonsillitis." Poppy muttered, almost losing her footing in surprise when Minerva let out an enormous sneeze. They all looked instantly towards Ro's bed, but by some miracle she was still asleep.

"How in Merlin's name did she sleep through that!" Septima asked in amazement.

Poppy chuckled quietly. "I think it would take the whole of the Slytherin Quidditch team bursting through the window to wake Ro up when she doesn't want to be woken." She glanced out the window where the Sun was just beginning to rise, and said "I'm going down to the kitchen to ask the House Elves for some soup, and don't try and protest because I'll go anyway!" Minerva fell back against the pillow with an exasperated smile.

"Do you want me to go instead?" Irma offered, "So you can stay here with Minerva."

"Thanks, but I'd quite like to go myself. I'd appreciate the company though; can you be in control here Septima?"

Septima nodded, moving to sit cross-legged on the end of Minerva's bed. "Sure can, and I'll try to wake up our resident sloth too." She said, tilting her head in Ro's direction as they all laughed.

When Irma and Poppy left the kitchen with a steaming bowl of soup in Poppy's hands, they were met by a tired-looking Professor Merrythought heading the other way. She stopped short when she caught sight of them and the soup, groaning aloud as she asked "Don't tell me one of you is ill too?"

"Minerva's got a fever and a sore throat," Irma said, exchanging a confused look with Poppy, "why, are some of the Ravenclaws ill?"

Professor Merrythought nodded. "And Madame Quinine isn't here- she was called urgently to St Mungo's the day before yesterday to help with an outbreak of dragon pox in the Hospital."

"But I thought a cure had been developed for dragon pox?" Poppy asked, remembering reading about it in one of her books about wizard illnesses.

"There is a cure, but it's centuries old and not always entirely effective." Professor Merrythought explained. "Nicolas Flamel, a famous alchemist, is currently working with Professor Dumbledore and Professor Dippet to try and develop it further. Please excuse me girls, but I need to get back to Ravenclaw Tower." She smiled briefly at them before hurrying up the nearest staircase.

Poppy and Irma continued back to Gryffindor Tower, walking straight through the deserted Common Room up to the second-year girl's dormitory. Septima had clearly succeeded in her quest to wake up Ro, as the pair were playing catch with three happily humming puffskeins through Minerva's bed.

"Hey Pops!" Ro called in a greeting, catching the three puffskeins and setting them down on Minerva's lap. "We've figured out a name for the new puffskein. He's going to be called Gabriel- it had to be a G name to match Godric and Georg, and we all thought it should be something Christmassy."

Minerva sneezed violently, sending Godric, Georg and Gabriel bouncing away to the other end of the bed. "You don't suppose she's allergic to the puffskeins?" Ro asked, glancing at Poppy for an answer.

"I don't think so, and apparently some of the Ravenclaws are unwell too so there must be something going around." Poppy gently put the soup down on Minerva's lap, frowning when Minerva shook her head. "You need to eat it, or you're not going to get better." She insisted, glaring pointedly at Minerva until she picked up the spoon and slowly started eating.

The rest of the day seemed to dissolve into a blur of chatter and playing with the puffskeins, punctuated by checking Minerva's temperature and the state of her glands every hour or so. Poppy was fairly certain of her tonsillitis diagnosis until they woke up the next day to find that Minerva had turned a sickly shade of green overnight. Ro had commented that her skin colour now matched her green eyes, but when her laughter turned into a dry cough Poppy sent her straight back to her own bed too.

"You do realise we're all going to get this blasted illness now, don't you?" said Septima, as she pulled the bedcovers over an angrily protesting Ro.

Poppy nodded grimly. "Which is why I am determined to get these two better quickly, so that they're well enough to take control when I come down with it!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Irma said, "Looking at Minerva it must be a wizarding illness, which means the recovery period is likely to be a lot longer than with normal illnesses."

They all looked up when a knock sounded on the door, which opened to reveal Professor Merrythought who was carrying a large bottle of purple liquid. "I come bearing bad news, I'm afraid." She said before any of the girls could say anything. "Do remember I said yesterday that there's been a dragon pox outbreak at St Mungo's hospital?" Poppy and Irma both nodded before she continued. "Well it seems as though the Nurse who came to collect Madame Quinine brought the disease with him, as we've got two confirmed cases of dragon pox in the Ravenclaw dormitories."

"Who is it?" Septima asked urgently, concern for her Housemates evident on her face.

"Brutus Scrimegeor and Bathsheda Babbling," Professor Merrythought said, before turning her gaze towards where Minerva was lying down in bed. "And by the looks of things, we have a third case in here."

"Minerva's got dragon pox?" Poppy gasped. When Professor Merrythought nodded, Poppy asked "Will she have to go to St Mungos?"

"I shouldn't think so my dear." Professor Merrythought said kindly. "Dragon pox is rarely fatal apart from in the very young and very elderly, so Minerva will be fine to remain where she is. But it's extremely contagious, so the school is on lockdown and no human will be allowed in or out until the outbreak is over. The same applies to the House Common Rooms; none of you will be allowed to leave Gryffindor Tower until everyone in the House has recovered fully."

There was quiet for a moment before Septima asked "How long until we're all ill and all better then?"

"The disease can take anywhere between a day and five to set in, and recovery will probably take about two weeks though it'll be about a month before you're back to full strength. Unless you've previously had dragon pox- in that case you're perfectly safe."

Septima and Irma both shook their heads, as did Ro. "My brothers and sister all had it before I was born, typical eh?" She grinned before dry, raspy coughs racked her chest.

"I've had chickenpox." Poppy said, earning herself a confused look from everyone else in the dormitory. "I think it's the Muggle version of dragon pox. Do you think that would protect me against dragon pox?"

Professor Merrythought looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "I'm really not sure. You'd be better off asking Professor Aurelius- she trained as a Mediwitch before coming to work at Hogwarts. Both she and I have already had dragon pox, so you'll see us fairly regularly when we come and check on you. I'm afraid it'll be down to you to look after yourselves though, as there just aren't enough staff to have someone in each Common Room. Professor Kettleburn wasn't looking at all well this morning and Professor Beery has already been sent to his bed, Professor Dumbledore needs his health to be able to work on this cure, and with Professor Dippet's age we can't risk him coming into contact with anyone who's ill."

"What should we expect with Minerva?" Septima asked, before a harsh cough from Ro made them all look in her direction. "And probably Ro too."

The bed creaked loudly as Ro abruptly sat up, throwing back the covers and snapping "I'm not sick!"

If Professor Merrythought was surprised by Ro's outburst, she didn't show it. "From my own experience, you'll all be in for a rough ride. That goes for both the sick and the carers." She walked over to Minerva's bed and gave her a pitying smile, which Minerva returned weakly. "That's probably as green as she's going to get, but don't be surprised if she breaks out in purple spots by tomorrow morning. Don't let her fever get out of control, and make sure she keeps eating and drinking. The House Elves will bring food up to the Common Room every morning and evening."

Poppy nodded, making sure she remembered everything Professor Merrythought was saying. "So she's going to get worse." She thought aloud, her heart sinking at the thought.

"In short, yes. Dragon pox is a nasty illness and a hard one to fight off, hence why it can prove fatal so easily. Oh, give her a spoonful of this every morning too." She passed the bottle of purple liquid into Poppy's hands, who put it on Minerva's bedside table. "It's the original cure invented back in the middle ages- it'll prevent her from suffering too much but don't stake all your hopes on it. Now if you're really concerned you can run and fetch either me or Professor Aurelius, but we'd rather you all stayed in your Common Rooms to prevent this spreading too far."

Professor Merrythought's advice turned out to be very necessary. Poppy didn't know what was worse, the sight of Minerva lying limp and clammy in her bed with chills racking her body or having to hear Ro's painful and frequent coughing bouts. Septima, Irma and Poppy were forced to run back and forth from the bathroom to soak a handkerchief in cold water which they used to cool Minerva's forehead, working in shifts through the night so they all got at least a few hours of sleep each. When the dawn shone the first rays of sunlight through the dormitory window, they were shocked to find bright purple spots covering Ro from head to foot. Judging by the fact that she had scratched her hands to the point of bleeding, they were obviously itching her like mad.

"She won't stop scratching, Poppy." Septima said in desperation, looking over at Poppy who was propping up Minerva so she could drink her potion. After she'd laid Minerva back down, she joined Septima who was clinging onto Ro's wrists to stop her from clawing at her hands.

"I'll think of something in a minute. Can you sit her up for me please; I'll never get this down her throat single-handedly."

Septima let go of Ro's hands and they both groaned when she immediately resumed her scratching, before she gently took hold of Ro's shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position. Irma passed Poppy a tumbler of the potion, which Poppy wasted no time in pouring quickly into Ro's mouth. Her yellow eyes flew open as she tried to retch it up- Professor Merrythought had warned them it tasted absolutely disgusting- but after Poppy forced her to drink a glass of water she seemed to settle back down.

Sighing in relief knowing that the worst job was done for another day, Poppy's thoughts went back to the challenge of keeping Ro from rubbing her skin raw. "I've got it!" she said suddenly, rushing over to her trunk and pulling out a pair of thick woollen socks. She pulled a sock over each of Ro's hands, smiling triumphantly when she tried and failed to scratch them again.

"Poppy, you're a geniu-" Septima's grin was broken when she coughed harshly, a hand flying to her chest as she struggled to regain her breath.

Irma and Poppy exchanged a dark look. "Bed." Irma said bluntly, taking hold of Septima's wrist and leading her back to her bed. Septima shook her off with a wordless shake of her head, but a fierce glare from Poppy made her nod meekly and sit down.

"Don't think for a moment that I'll let you fuss over me when Ro and Minerva are so much worse." She wheezed, groaning as Irma poured another measure of the foul-tasting postion and passed it to her. She took it without complaint, but eagerly accepted the water that she was given and drank it quickly.

Irma leaned over and felt Septima's forehead. "You're not as bad as Minerva was, but its early days yet." She said, shoulders sagging when Septima started coughing again. "It seems that your comment about spending Christmas not hacking up a lung was spoken too soon." Poppy couldn't help but grin despite the graveness of the situation, and Septima looked as though she very much wanted to shove the Dragon Pox potion down Irma's throat too.

She got her opportunity just under a week later. Poppy was still mainly occupied by Minerva and Ro, who were both in an unchanging state of illness, and first noticed when Irma began leaving more and more of her meals each day. She would grudgingly accept food when Poppy and Septima gave her no option to eat it, but if they weren't watching her carefully they she'd go hours at a time without eating anything. Neither Irma or Septima were as bad as Minerva or Ro, which Poppy assumed was due to early administration of the potion, which was a great relief as Poppy didn't think she'd be able to look after all four of them at once without running herself into exhaustion. So long as Septima drank plenty and Irma remembered to eat, they were both still able to help Poppy treat Minerva and Ro.

Professor Merrythought and Professor Aurelius visited once a day, noting down their condition and keeping them informed of any other outbreaks in the school. By the time that the new term would normally be starting, nearly everyone in the Hufflepuff dormitories including Alfred Diggory and Donald Moody had fallen ill and the Ravenclaws weren't faring much better. Robert Fawley remained disease-free as he'd had the illness as a young child and Peggy Gilbert was in the same situation as Poppy, having had chickenpox which seemed to give some immunity, but everyone else had been infected. Augusta Brown was also lucky enough to stay healthy, but her time was taken up entirely by Alastor Moody and Lester Longbottom who were both badly affected. As Tom Riddle and Alexia Yaxley were the only two Slytherins remaining in school, they had both escaped the epidemic.

"Do you think this will ever get better?" Septima croaked as she sponged down Minerva's forehead with a damp handkerchief.

"It must do." Poppy insisted quietly. On Septima's orders she had taken to her own bed, putting her feet up for an hour or two while Septima kept an eye on things. Irma had fallen asleep, the disease taking its toll on her even though she wasn't faring too badly. Although Poppy didn't dare to say it out loud, Minerva and Ro were slowly beginning to look better. Minerva had paled back to a pasty while as opposed to sickly green, and Ro's spots were gradually receding and bothering her less although they wouldn't risk taking the socks off her hands yet.

They both jumped when the door burst open, and Irma sat up abruptly while blinking owlishly in confusion. The intruder was Professor Aurelius, who was brandishing a small jar of a dark blue potion with a bright smile on her face. Poppy refused to let her hopes get up too high until Professor Aurelius announced "Professor Dumbledore and Mr Flamel have finished their work; this is the new and improved cure for Dragon Pox."

"Has it been proven yet?" Poppy asked excitedly.

Professor Aurelius nodded. "Professor Kettleburn and Professor Beery are both a huge amount better than they were a few days ago, and they were given this yesterday evening. It doesn't work immediately, but Professor Dumbledore thinks that everyone affected should be back on their feet within a week or so.

After pouring out four glasses of the new potion, Professor Aurelius left to go and visit the other dormitories. Improvements were being made even by the end of the day; Irma's appetite had increased enough for her to eat a decent sized meal that evening and Septima's throat was troubling her a lot less. Minerva and Ro took longer to improve, which was no surprise as they had been so much worse, but within a few days Ro's spots had completely cleared up apart from several self-inflicted scars on her hands and Minerva was strong enough to sit up for more than a few minutes at a time. When the last week of January arrived and plans were being made for the rest of the students to return, they were all finally declared disease-free by a cheerful Professor Merrythought.

It was the evening of January the 31st, and the Hogwarts Express was due to make the journey from Kings Cross Station the next day. "I know we all said this last year," Minerva said as they sat down the Great Hall for the first time since Christmas Day, "but here's to the Christmas of 1944 which will be spent not bedridden in either the Hospital Wing or the Dormitory but sat around the Christmas Tree enjoying our gifts as we should be."

"Here, here." Septima nodded approvingly, and they all raised their glasses with bright smiles on their faces.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**  
_ _This was a fun chapter. I do like making them suffer, don't I!_

 _The details about Dragon Pox were all taken from the HP wiki, as well as the symptoms chickenpox as it's not too detailed on the wiki. I had the idea of chickenpox providing an immunity as milkmaids in the Middle Ages were protected from developing smallpox because they caught cowpox from their cows, there's nothing canon about that._

 _As for the cure being improved by Dumbledore and Flamel, there were several canon things that gave me this idea. In the Sorting Quiz on Pottermore one of the questions talks about a dragon pox cure being developed by the Headmaster, and Dumbledore's chocolate frog card mentions his work on alchemy with Flamel. So I combined those facts and came up with this._

 _The next chapter will probably be posted next Monday, as I've got a couple of tests I need to focus on this week. There'll probably be a week's gap between that chapter and the one after that too due to the end of term rush, but updates will get more frequent during the Christmas break :)_


	16. Second Time Lucky

_February 1944_

* * *

After five weeks of lying like an invalid in bed, getting back on her broomstick felt to Ro like a dream come true. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she had ever felt that miserable; she'd always been a healthy child able to shake off illnesses within a day or two, so to be incapacitated for so long was practically unheard of. Routines had kicked back off fairly quickly after the rest of the students and teachers returned from the extra long Christmas break, the most exciting event being the next Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

While Fleamont and Alastor was speaking to the other players during their last practise before the match, Ro took the opportunity to make up for the lost time on her Silver Arrow. She twisted and flipped through the air, flinging the snitch out in front of her and catching it seconds later. So caught up in staying on her broomstick as she hung upside down, she completely failed to hear the rest of the team shouting at her from below.

"OI! GRIFFINDOR TO ROLANDA! WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A GROUP TALK DOWN HERE!"

Finally realising she was being called, she leaned forward and swooped at an alarming speed back towards the ground. "Sorry Fleamont." She said as she jumped off a couple of feet above the grass, brushing her hair from her face. "What'd I miss?"

Fleamont rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "We were saying that we can't let this next match go the same way as the Slytherin match did. Their Captain, Marvin Russell, is in seventh year now and he hasn't once won the cup, so he'll have sheer want behind every move. A positive factor is that they won their last match whereas we lost hugely, so with any luck they'll underestimate us. Though what we really need-" at this point the gazes of everyone else in the team came to rest on her, "-is the snitch to be caught quickly."

Ro squirmed slightly as her mind worked for an answer. "You can count on it." She promised, knowing she had to do better than in the previous match. It had taken her an age to find that snitch between keeping an eye on the Slytherins and her fellow Gryffindors, and even once she'd gone in for the catch it had been snatched out of her fingertips.

"Good." Fleamont nodded. "Right then team, I think we're done for the day. Get a good night's sleep for the next two days, and we'll meet here at 11 on Saturday morning. You're all dismissed."

Ro and Minerva changed quickly back into their casual clothes before walking back to Gryffindor Tower to meet Poppy. She was in the Common Room working on the essay that Professor Slughorn had set them earlier that day, though she put her quill down with a smile when they clambered through the portrait hole. "How did it go?" she asked as they collapsed down on the settee either side of her.

"Put it this way, I hope Septima isn't a sore loser!" Ro laughed.

Septima didn't seem to be overly competitive when she and Millicent joined Poppy, Ro and Minerva at the Gryffindor table on the morning of the match. The Great Hall was awash with activity, with excited chatter coming from everywhere and house scarves around the necks of nearly every student and staff member. Even Godric the puffskein was wearing a tiny red and gold hat, which Augusta had magically knitted for the team mascot who was currently sat merrily on Poppy's shoulder. The Gryffindor Quidditch Team had already donned their scarlet uniforms, and the Ravenclaw Team could be picked out easily by the blue and bronze robes.

"Excited?" Septima asked with a grin as she slid into the seat next to Ro. "I don't think Marvin Russell will be pleased to see us over here, but I wanted to make sure that us playing against each other doesn't change us being friends." A worried look crossed her face, and Ro couldn't help but smile.

"Of course it doesn't, you fruitcake." Septima returned Ro's grin as Ro punched her arm lightly with a gloved fist. "You two mean more than who wins this match."

A creaking sound announced Irma's arrival, as she sat down next to Minerva on the other side of the table. "I wish that the members of my House had the same opinion." She said, glancing contemptuously down at the green and silver scarf around her neck. "How long is it until the match starts?"

Millicent glanced at her watch. "We've got half an hour until Spinnet blows the whistle, but we'll probably have to get to the pitch before."

"Right then." Poppy said brightly, taking one of the untouched porridge bowls from the middle of the table and reaching across Ro to put it in front of Septima. The House Elves had a habit of putting too much food on all the House tables, but it came in handy during times when not everyone sat at their own table. "I will not have any of you three," she motioned to Ro, Minerva and Septima, "not eating enough this morning. You've got a big match and you need plenty of energy, so eat up and just mind for any puffskein hairs!"

The laughter that ensued made Poppy roll her eyes, though it was easy to see the smile on her face. "Thanks Poppy." Septima said, picking up a spoon and making a start on the bowl. As Poppy turned a sharp eye on her, Ro hastily shoved another spoonful of porridge into her mouth and smiled sweetly.

"Have you had enough breakfast?" Irma leaned away slightly in surprise when Poppy rounded on her. "I haven't forgotten how you were over Christmas, you're thinner than a rake and need to eat properly!"

"I can tell there's no getting out of this one." Irma commented good humouredly as Millicent passed her another bowl and spoon

When Ro finished the last of her porridge, she looked up to see everyone still eating. Except for Minerva; she was merely using her spoon to poke at the porridge with a disinterested expression. Her black hair had been pulled into a plait that extended over halfway down her back, revealing a pale face and unfocused green eyes. Trying to keep quiet enough that Poppy wouldn't hear her, she reached across the table to touch Minerva's wrist and asked "What's the matter."

Minerva shook her head, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "I feel sick," she said dully, causing everyone else to raise their heads in alarm.

"Is is the dragon pox again?" Poppy demanded with intense concern in her voice.

"No, it's different than that," Minerva said slowly, "I'm not cold or aching, it's just my stomach."

"It might just be nerves." Ro pointed out after a moment's thought. "I remember Tavin always got really nervous before any big event, and he usually felt sick. You've got nothing to worry about though, the sky's clear and there's no sign of wind according to Alastor."

"You said that to me last time though." Minerva pointed out with the tiniest of smiles as Irma patted her shoulder comfortingly. "So it's not really helping."

Ro shrugged. "Eh, I guess so," she said with a grin.

"Well you've got much less chance of being knocked off your broomstick this time." Septima suggested, "No offence Irma, but our team tactic is winning by getting more points rather than sending the opposition to the Hospital Wing

"No offence taken." Irma reassured her before turning back to Minerva. "You'll probably feel better when the game gets started. If I were you I'd eat afterwards, as long as Poppy doesn't want to hex me for suggesting- are those owls flying towards us?"

The owl post had just arrived, only adding to the chaos of the Great Hall, and there were indeed a pair of owls carrying a box between them heading towards where they were sat. Ro moved her empty bowl away just in time for the box to be placed in front of her, but Millicent wasn't quick enough and one of the owls stuck a foot into her porridge. She grimaced as the owls flew away, splattering drops of porridge all down the Gryffindor table as it soared through the Hall.

"I think I'm done with this." She said with a faintly amused expression, pushing her bowl away and wiping her hands on a napkin.

Ro turned her attention to the package sat in front of her. Seeing a note tapped to the top of the box, she peeled it away and read out loud: "Ro, sorry to ask but I really need you to look after this little guy. My friend (you remember Johnnie Proudfoot from my graduation party?) and I found a huge puffskein breeding operation and we can't find homes for them all! I had persuaded Mallory to have this little one but he chewed on the curtains in his apartment and his girlfriend made him give him back. Thanks a bunch, Erika." She sighed as she looked down at the box, before peering through one of the air holes to see a tiny puffskein with enormous blue eyes looking back at her.

"Let's take him up to our dormitory," Poppy suggested, "it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get him out down here and I can give Minerva something for her stomach too."

Millicent looked at her watch again. "I don't think we've got time, it looks like the teachers are getting up from their table." Sure enough, Professor Dippet and the House Heads had risen out of their seats and were heading towards their respective tables to gather their students. "Poppy, Irma and I could take him up there though, while you three get ready for the match?"

Poppy and Irma both nodded, so Ro handed the box to Millicent as she got up from the table. "His name is Gerald- we need to keep our theme going!" Millicent laughed as she took Gerald's box and followed Poppy and Irma towards the Hall's huge doors.

Septima rejoined the Ravenclaw team who were gathered around Professor Merrythought, leaving just Ro and Minerva to make their way to the changing rooms. Fleamont wasn't the sort to make unrealistically positive speeches before each match, so as usual the Gryffindor team were to meet up in the area below the stands.

"Feeling any better?" Ro asked as she pulled her goggles down over her eyes and picked up her Silver Arrow.

Minerva nodded, her Comet in hand. "Much better, Irma was probably right about it just being nerves." A pause, and then "Be careful, won't you? I don't want to have to meet you in the Hospital Wing after the match."

Ro chuckled "I'll do my best!" They both fell silent as they joined the other Gryffindors, Ro taking her usual place at the rear of the team as they marched out onto the pitch. She could just about see Septima among the Ravenclaw team, but her attention was mainly focused on the Ravenclaw's Seeker. Nina Hilliard was a year older than she was, and had a reputation for being an incredibly agile flyer. Fleamont shook hands with Marvin Russell, then the two teams both mounted their brooms and started to rise above the ground. Ro and Nina both lifted a few feet above the rest of the players, watching the Snitch intently as Mr Spinnet released it into the air.

The moment the Quaffle was thrown they were off, Ro soaring upwards to follow the Snitch with Nina hard on her tail. She didn't dare to look away from the Snitch until enthusiastic applause caught her attention; she glanced downwards to see Minerva lobbying the Quaffle through the goal hoop right over Marvin's head. Ro joined in with the cheering for a moment before resuming her pursuit of the Snitch, having lost track of it while watching Minerva score. She kept half an eye on Nina as she scanned the pitch for any sign of the Snitch, watching in case the Ravenclaw seeker caught of it before she did.

Nina suddenly dived, prompting Ro to lean forward on her broomstick and zoom downwards after her. She could see the Snitch glimmering half a foot in front of Nina's fingers and cursed for letting herself lose the game so quickly, but a Bludger flying just in front of Nina's face meant she had to turn sharply sideways to avoid getting hit in the face. Ro high-fived a triumphant looking Nancy Campbell who had been responsible for shooting the Bludger, but not risking a repeat of her previous mistake she wasted no time in going back after the Snitch.

As she flew around the pitch with her eyes peeled, she relied solely on Fillius Flitwick's commentary to keep her updated on what was going on around her. Fleamont had scored the second goal of the match, but a penalty was awarded to the Ravenclaw team after Larry Spencer-Moon accidentally flew into the scoring area at the same time as Fleamont and committed the foul of Stooging. Peggy Gilbert of the Ravenclaw team took the penalty and scored, and it wasn't long afterwards that Septima scored too (Ro couldn't help cheering for her friend), bringing the two teams to an equal position.

After watching Larry score, Ro finally caught sight of the Snitch again. It was flitting very near the ground around the Gryffindor end of the pitch, which was currently very empty due to most of the players being down the Ravenclaw end while the goal was scored. Ro could see Nina out of the corner of her eye, and by the way she was slowly gliding around the pitch she hadn't yet seen the Snitch. Not wanting to risk taking Nina on in a direct race for the Snitch, Ro knew she had to try and keep it that way.

Her opportunity came after few moments of circling several feet above the Snitch, when her attention was caught by Ravenclaw beater Brutus Scrimegeour raising his bat in her direction. The Bludger narrowly missed her head but she pretended she had been struck, feinting sideways while gripping the handle of her broomstick between her knees. Ro plummeted towards the ground to the background noise of cries and shouts from both her teammates and the watching crowd, but she remained totally calm as the distance between her and the Snitch decreased rapidly. At the last moment she leaned backwards to halt her twisting fall, shooting out her right hand and closing her fingers over the golden ball.

"The match is ended with a score of 180-20, won by Gryffindor in an incredibly display of skill by Seeker Hooch!" Flitwick's voice squeaked through the magical megaphone as an astounding cheer rose in the stadium. Ro lifted her right hand into the air to reveal the still-fluttering Snitch, grinning wildly as she faced the roaring crowd, and before she knew it the whole of the Gryffindor team had descended upon her.

"You certainly took my advice about catching the Snitch quickly to heart." Fleamont said joyfully, the Quaffle still tucked under his arm. "We were only on the pitch for just under 10 minutes. And that fall when you caught the Snitch... Merlin's Beard, you frightened me for a moment. I don't think even Marilyn could have bested that- you've reminded me exactly why I had an easy choice in picking you to be my Seeker." Hearing her Captain's words, Ro didn't think she'd ever felt so happy. Marilyn Douglas had been Gryffindor's Seeker and Quidditch Captain until her graduation at the end of the previous school year, and as Ro had admired her enormously she felt honoured to be compared to her.

Once the team had disbanded, Poppy, Millicent and Irma all joined Ro and Minerva on the pitch. "That was incredible!" Millicent grinned to Ro before running off to find Septima.

"That was terrifying!" Poppy snapped, her Gryffindor scarf gripped between both hands. "I thought you'd been hit again! I thought you were done for! I thought-"

"Pops." Ro interrupted her, laying a hand on Poppy's shoulder. "I knew exactly what I was doing. I wouldn't deliberately let myself get hurt."

Poppy huffed in response, but then her face softened. "It was pretty impressive." She admitted with a smile, before turning to Minerva. "How are you feeling."

"Absolutely great." Minerva nodded, her face flushed and smile bright. "Though I could really do with some food right now. Can we go down to the kitchens after we've been back up to the dormitory?"

Poppy's smile faltered, and she exchanged an uneasy expression with Irma. "About that," she started slowly.

"There's been a slight... incident in your dormitory." Irma continued for her, causing Ro to frown in concern. "You'd better come and see."

Neither Ro or Minerva bothered changing from their Quidditch uniforms before they went up to Gryffindor Tower, trying not to trip up the stairs or run into too many ghosts on their way in their haste to see what the problem was. The Fat Lady expressed distaste in allowing a Slytherin student into the Gryffindor Common Room, but relented when they pointed out that Irma had lived in the Gryffindor Tower all Christmas and she was with three Gryffindors now.

As Ro turned the door handle of the second-year girls' dormitory and peered inside, she felt her mouth drop open in shock. "It seems," Irma said slowly, "that Gabriel has become a Gabriella."

"Yeah, I think you might be right." Ro agreed after a moment. Nestled in the covers of Poppy's bed were Georg and Gabriel- definitely Gabriella now- and with them were five tiny baby puffskeins.

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_

 _Sorry for the long wait, but I'm on Christmas break for the next two weeks so expect some slightly quicker updates!_

 _This was a fun chapter. I loved that breakfast scene- our main six have such different personalities it's great to write them all together. As you can see, since Poppy's accepting of Irma at the very end of first-year she's become much more open with her friends. I don't think she'd ever have come to sit with them during first-year._

 _Remember Marilyn Douglas? She appeared very briefly in the chapter 8, both announcing that Ernest Lawrence was missing and later getting petrified herself. She'll be making a comeback to the story in a few chapters time. The Johnnie Proudfoot who I mentioned won't be terribly important, I just took the surname of a canonical Auror and stuck a first name on there. We may meet him at some point in the future, same goes for Mallory's girlfriend who is a canonical character I found on the wiki and thought would be a good match for dull old Mallory xD_

 _As for the puffskein problem, well, things are about to get very fun, very interesting and very hairy!_


	17. Out of Hand

_February 1944_

* * *

There was silence for a minute or two as Poppy, Ro, Minerva and Irma just watched the new puffskein family. "Are we going to keep them all?" Poppy asked no-one in particular, struggling to keep the plea out of her voice. But although she really did want to keep them all, she was very aware that they had no idea how to care for baby puffskeins. The adults were easy enough to cater for as they simply ate the dust from under the bed and the occasional leftovers they brought back from dinner, but five babies on top of four adults would undoubtedly make things more interesting.

"Definitely!" Ro grinned, to which Minerva responded with an uncertain sound. "What, you don't want to be able to raise tiny fluffballs in our own dormitory?"

"It would be nice, but-"

"There we go then!" Ro declared, interrupting her completely. "We'll raise them here, and maybe when they're all grown up they can live on the grounds. It'll be perfect!"

Poppy waited for Ro to finish her plan, before pointing out. "But we don't know how to raise them. And what happens if any more are born? We'll be overrun before we know it!" Minerva nodded in agreement.

"Well there's one place where we'd be able to find out everything we needed to know." Irma said, looking thoughtful. "The library."

Minerva nodded approvingly. "We'll definitely be able to get some books there. If not I'm sure Professor Kettleburn will be able to help us, or even Hagrid might know something."

"That's settled them." Ro said, "Let's go up to the library now and if there's something missing we'll go ask for help. Does that sound good?" A rumbling sound answered her question, and all eyes turned to Minerva who wrapped an arm around her stomach with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry," she laughed, "but I think I'll need to get something to eat first. I'm really hungry."

"I'm not surprised!" Poppy exclaimed, shaking her head in mock despair. "How about this- Ro and Minerva will go down to the kitchens, and we'll meet you up in the library."

Ro nodded. "Sounds fine to me. We'll get changed too, before we end up treading grass into the library carpet. I think Mr Pratchett would probably jinx us if we went up there still in this!" She motioned down to her Quidditch uniform with a grin. Mr Pratchett, the librarian, was a stern yet kind man, though he had an incredibly short temper with anyone messing around in the library.

Once they'd left the Common Room, Ro and Minerva took the first staircase downwards leading to the kitchens while Poppy and Irma carried on walking through the seventh floor corridor. "I imagine Septima and Millicent would want to come with us- I know the way up to Ravenclaw Tower so we can get them before going down to the library." Irma explained, leading Poppy up a steep spiral staircase that stopped at a large wooden door. The eagle-shaped bronze handle seemed to stare at them both as they approached, but then it startled Poppy by moving its head and asking "What loses its head in the morning and gets it back at night?"

Poppy's brow furrowed with thought, but it was Irma who swiftly replied "A pillow. We're not here to come in though, we only want to collect two of our friends."

"I thought not, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Someone is coming for you." The eagle said, somewhat contemptuously, before falling still again.

Poppy glanced at Irma, impressed by the speed at which she'd answered the riddle. "I was almost put into Ravenclaw too, but the Sorting Hat changed its mind at the last moment." she explained without waiting for Poppy to ask.

"Would you have preferred that?" Poppy asked softly, remembering the anguish that some of Irma's fellow Slytherins had caused her in the past. She had a feeling that the blood-traitor taunts hadn't stopped, but Irma didn't like to talk about it so Poppy didn't like to ask.

Irma bowed her head wordlessly, and was saved from answering when the door creaked open to reveal Peggy Gilbert looking down at them with a curious expression. Poppy was glad to see the Ravenclaw Chaser back in the Tower, as it meant it was more likely that Septima would have changed and returned too.

"Hello Irma; and Poppy, isn't it?" Peggy greeted them in a polite tone. Poppy nodded; she vaguely knew Peggy from the brief talk they'd had upon awaking in the Hospital Wing after their petrification. "I'll go and get Septima for you, she and Millicent got back here about five minutes ago."

The door was shut as Peggy went back into the Ravenclaw Common Room, but not long later it was opened by Septima and Millicent. Septima's hair was damp and frizzy, presumably from where she'd just had a shower, and she greeted Poppy and Irma with a slightly subdued smile. "How come you're up here? I'd have thought you'd be celebrating with Minerva and Ro?"

"They're not celebrating." Irma said bluntly. "We've got a problem, and we need your help. Can you come with us to the library?"

Septima exchanged an uncertain glance with Millicent, before they both nodded. Minerva and Ro joined them as they walked through the large double doors that led into the library, both with wet hair and Minerva carrying a pumpkin pastry.

"Good game, Septima." Ro congratulated her, clapping a hand onto her shoulder. "That goal of yours was great- Alastor was miles away from the Quaffle!"

Septima's smile brightened with Ro's praise. "It was nothing against your catch though, I really thought Brutus had got you then! Nina stood no chance."

"If you two don't mind, we've got a problem to solve." Irma butted in with a dry smile. There were nods from everyone- Poppy and Irma had explained what had happened to Septima and Millicent as they walked down from Ravenclaw Tower. "There should be a section about care of magical creatures as there's one for every subject Hogwarts teaches, it's just a matter of finding it." Without another word she took off down one of the aisles, leaving everyone else to follow on behind her.

"How often are you in here?" Ro asked in amazement, as Irma seemed to know exactly where she was going.

"Very often. Here we go." Irma stopped in front of a large bookcase, which Poppy was sure was rattling ever so slightly. Her thought was confirmed when she looked upwards to see a large, furred book chained to the top of the bookcase, thrashing around so much that it caused the whole bookcase to shake.

"We're looking in that one last!" Ro laughed, before hauling a large pile of books from the shelf and handing them out. They all sat in silence for a while, looking through the books and piling up anything that could be of any use. Once their pile was several books high, they took the books to Mr Pratchett to be checked out before returning to the dormitory in Gryffindor Tower.

Poppy sat down on the end of her bed, careful to keep a respectable distance from Georg, Gabriella and the babies. Ro perched on the wooden end of the bed while Irma and Septima sat down on hers, leaving Minerva and Millicent to take Mienrva's bed. "Where do we start then?" she asked, looking from face to face. "

"From what this says," Millicent started, waving _The General care of Puffskeins_ around, "their diet is exactly the same as what the adults eat. Just a lot of dust and fluff."

"Apparently they like bird seed too," Septima added, "we should be able to get that from Hagrid, I've seen him feeding the birds from our dormitory window."

There were nods from nearly everyone, but Irma looked doubtful. "Are you sure he won't tell one of the Professors though?" she asked dubiously.

"He might be a little overbearing, but Hagrid's a god person. He knows how to keep a secret- don't forget that he really was raising an Acromantula in the dungeons all of last year." Poppy pointed out.

"Let's not go back into all of this again." Minerva said firmly. "What about working out whether they're boys or girls? We don't want another lot of babies in a month or two's time."

Ro nodded, sliding off the bed end to sit next to Poppy. "Yeah I can do that. It's pretty simple, the girls all have tufty ears and the boys have smooth ears." She fell quiet as she inspected easy of the baby puffskeins, before announcing "Three girls and two boys. Right then, what are we going to name them?"

Her question was greeted with all around laughter. "Your priorities are very good." Irma chuckled, to which Ro responded by poking out her tongue.

"One of the girls could be Gladys," Millicent suggested.

"What about Gilda? That's a nice name." Poppy added.

Ro nodded. "Yeah, they're both good. How about Gaston and Gregory for the boys?"

"Can the last girl be Gretel?" Irma asked.

"That didn't take long then!" Ro grinned, before suddenly frowning. "Should we check Gerald and Godric too? Just in case Erika made another mistake.

There were nods from everyone, and Minerva threw Godric over from where he'd been sat looking grumpy on her bed. Poppy presumed he wasn't happy about having all the new puffskeins on Poppy's bed, as that was usually where he slept when not on Poppy's shoulder. "Looks like a boy to me," Minerva said and Ro voiced her agreement a few seconds later. "What about Gerald?"

"I think you might mean Geraldine." Septima said from the corner of the room near the door. She had picked Gerald up from the floor and was looking at him with frown, before turning around to show him to the others. Poppy hadn't looked in him in close detail yet, and when she saw the enormous tufted ears he was sporting she couldn't restrain a groan.

"Wonderful." Ro said, voicing Poppy's thoughts. "Juuust wonderful."

What followed from then on was a constant need to keep Geraldine away from Georg or Godric. Minerva began carrying her around everywhere with her in her school bag, while Poppy or Ro would dart back to the dormitory between all their lessons to check on the babies. They grew incredibly quickly; by the time Easter rolled around they were pretty much as big as the adults.

The Easter Holiday brought with it another challenge for the second years; deciding what extra classes they would take on in their third year. Poppy's highest priority had been selecting the classes that would help her to become a Mediwitch, but when Augusta told her that the core classes were more beneficial she let herself relax a little. She ended up picking Care of Magical Creatures due to the many interesting conversations she'd had with Professor Kettleburn during the weeks they spent together in the Hospital Wing after the disastrous pantomime, but as she wasn't really sure what the other classes actually were she had no idea what she should be choosing.

"Well Ancient Runes is pretty much what it says on the tin, you just learn to read runes and stuff like that." Ro explained to her as they sat with Minerva, Irma, Ro, Septima and Millicent in the Library. They had tried to sit in the Gryffindor Common Room like they'd done over Christmas, but more Gryffindors staying over the holiday meant there were a few people in the near-full Common Room who opposed a Slytherin in Gryffindor Tower. So that Irma could stay with them, they'd relocated to the library to make their choices.

"That one sounds interesting." Poppy nodded as she ticked Ancient Runes on the parchment. "What about Divination?"

"My mother's favourite subject was Divination." Minerva said without looking up from her parchment. "It involves looking into the future; sounds a bit like guesswork to me but Professor Olwen seems fairly down to Earth. Arithmancy is similar, but it uses numbers rather than other methods."

Sounding more like the cold-hearted person they'd first met than she had done for a long time, Irma turned to Septima and asked "I suppose you'll be taking Arithmancy?"

Septima blinked a couple of times, saying hesitantly "Yes... yes I am. Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Divination." Another pause, before "Aren't you?"

Irma huffed quietly. "I have no intention of following in the footsteps of the father who barely recognises that I exist."

Poppy, who was sat on Irma's other side, put her quill down for a moment to place a hand over Irma's. She looked sharply at Poppy for a minute, before her gaze softened and she smiled just slightly. "What do you want to take?" Poppy asked, wanting to move the conversation on quickly.

"Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies. My mother won't be happy I'm taking Muggle Studies, but I want to know more about the non-magical world." Irma's smile vanished as she spoke, and Poppy couldn't help pitying her friend's difficult predicament.

"Crikey, that's a workload." Ro said, pulling a doubtful expression. "Kurtis and Mallory managed to take five extra subjects, but I've no idea how. Erika and Tavin did three each, but I think I'm just going to take two. Less subjects means more time for Quidditch."

Poppy nodded, seeing the sense in Ro's decision. While her siblings had all taken up jobs that required a lot of OWLS, Ro's aspiration to be a Quidditch Player meant exam results wouldn't be as important as flying prowess. "Which two are you doing?"

"Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies. Apparently they're the easiest ones, which is good cause the core subjects all get really hard in OWL years."

"Alright, I'm finished." Minerva suddenly said, giving Poppy the impression that she'd zoned out of the conversation. Poppy peered over to look at her sheet, and was shocked to see ticks against every one of their new options.

"You'll run yourself ragged." She said quietly to Minerva, giving her a concerned frown.

Minerva shook her head. "I'll manage. If Ro's brothers can do it, then so can I."

Poppy sighed inwardly at Minerva's stubborness, but looked up when Millicent suggested "If we're all finished, we can hand these in to our Heads of Houses and maybe go outside? It's a beautiful afternoon."

Making a quick last decision and marking Divination down on her sheet, Poppy put her quill back into its case and rolled up her parchment. "I'll ask Eileen to hand mine in to Professor Slughorn." Irma said, gesturing in the direction of Eileen Pince who was sat with fellow Slytherin second years Alphard Black and Hubert Thatcham.

Ro nodded with a grin. "Good plan Irma, then we just need to go to Professor Merrythought's office and Professor Dumbledore's before we're done. We'll drop by Gryffindor Tower on the way and check on the..." Poppy watched in confusion as Ro's expression darkened and she turned to Minerva with an urgent shout of "Min, check your bag!"

Minerva looked as confused as Poppy felt, but she put her satchel onto the table and rummaged through all the same. "What am I meant to be looking for- oh no." She trailed off into silence, a hand lifting slowly over her mouth.

"Can someone explain what the problem is here?" Millicent asked, voicing Poppy's thoughts. Her heart froze for a moment though when Ro turned to her and said "We left Geraldine in Gryffindor Tower."

Within seconds, they were all on their feet and sprinting out of the library, heading up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower as fast as they could physically go. Poppy's legs were burning by the time they reached the seventh floor, having run up five staircases without so much of a break, so she was clinging to the banisters to hold her up by the time they skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady. She gave Irma a suspicious look but let them in regardless when Ro bellowed the password.

"I thought we said you couldn't bring the Slytherin in here!" shouted a shrill voice, which caused the chatter in the busy Common Room to quieten almost instantly. Poppy had to restrain a groan as she turned to see Shirley Miller pointing an accusing finger at Irma, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable as all eyes turned to look at her. It was clear that Shirley still held Slytherin responsible for the petrifications that had occurred the previous year.

"Shut it Miller," Ro snapped, surprising Poppy with the turn of her voice. Not sparing another glance at Shirley, Poppy took hold of Irma's wrist as they pushed their way through the Common Room and up the stairs to the dormitory.

The sight that met them was not a pleasant one, though Poppy had to admit it could have been worse. The five babies that had been born in February were bouncing energetically around the small room, having pushed Poppy's medicine tins off her bedroom table already and were now curiously nudging the books in the bookcase. What really caught Poppy's eye though was the sight of Godric and Geraldine cuddled up on the roof of Minerva's bed, and by the look of it they'd been there together for a while.

Ro broke the still that had descended by turning to Poppy, Minerva, Millicent, Septima and Irma, and giving them a falsely wide smile. "It's alright," she said brightly, the sarcasm blatantly obvious in her voice, "we've still got everything under control."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _And the Puffskein problem really gets underway! Things are going to escalate even more in the remaining chapters of second-year, with the puffskeins and our one remaining quidditch match. I'd guess second-year will be done by chapter 20 as third-year is very action-packed and I'm planning a chapter in the summer holiday this time around._

 _I put quite a bit of thought into the subjects our main six have chosen for their OWLs. I know Harry and Ron only did two extra subjects, but in the books several times it mentions 10 OWLs being the usual amount which means three extra choices. It seemed obvious to me that Minerva would take all 12, and Irma isn't far behind her (I'm sure you all know what that means!)._

 _Oh Irma, you poor dear. Her situation is so sad, but so interesting to write at the same time. A great deal more will be revealed at the start of third year, and I'm pretty sure that by the time fourth-year gets here you'll know everything about her and Septima's family life._

 _As for background characters this chapter, Hubert Thatcham is entirely made up because I needed another Slytherin second-year. Shirley Miller is a year older than the main six, and she was mentioned a few times during first-year to do with the petrifications. She's one of those really annoying people who will pick fights for the same of it and has a voice that annoys you regardless of what she's saying. And Mr Pratchett the librarian is, of course, a tiny tribute to the wonderful Terry Pratchett._

 _I think all that remains for me to say here is that since it's past midnight where I live, I can wish all my amazing readers a very merry Christmas. And for my non-Christian followers, have a happy December 25th. Thank you for sticking with my and this story for the past nearly three months :)_


	18. Late Disappointments

_April 1944_

* * *

It quickly became obvious that everything was not under control.

Geraldine and Godric's babies were born on the last day of the Easter Holiday in early April; two boys and a girl. One of the boys was named Goliath because he was simply enormous from the moment he was born, and the other two were called Giselle and Gideon. As the days went on and all the babies grew, the dormitory started to look in Minerva's opinion less like a bedroom and more like a bombsite.

"Twelve!" Minerva said exasperatedly to Ro when they came back from Quidditch practise to see the entire contents of the bookcase all over the floor. "Twelve puffskeins, Rolanda! You can't say we've got it under control, because clearly we haven't!"

Ro sighed, placing a hand on Minerva's shoulder. "Min, I grew up with three older siblings and a father who's eccentric-ness could rival Dumbledore's. My version of 'out of control' is going to be pretty different to yours."

Minerva rolled her eyes despite the smile that had crept onto her face. "I mean it though Ro. What happens when this lot grow up and start breeding? We're going to be overrun, surely we should do something about it before it gets to that point?"

"We might not have that long." Minerva and Ro both looked over to where Poppy was sat on the floor in front of the bookcase with one of the borrowed library books in her lap. "It says here that puffskeins can get pregnant very quickly after birth, and gestation period is only about 3 weeks. Meaning that we could expect more babies from Georg and Gabriella before too long."

Minerva groaned aloud at the sheer thought, flopping back onto her bed, and even Ro was looking doubtful. It hadn't even crossed her mind to keep Georg and Gabriella apart, and the pair had been practically inseparable since their babies were bouncing around the dormitory of their own accord. "And how long until the babies can have babies?" She asked, though wasn't sure she really wanted to hear the answer.

"Erm... 6 weeks old." Poppy said with a grimace, getting up from the floor to look at the calendar on the back of the dormitory door. "So anytime now really."

"Ok, I'll now admit we have a problem." Ro nodded reluctantly.

"But what can we do about it?" Poppy asked with a worried expression. "Can Erika take them back?"

"I don't think so." Ro admitted, "I mean, part of the reason she gave them to us was because she couldn't keep them, right? Maybe if we gave her enough notice, but we might be crowded out of our own bedroom before that happens!"

There was quiet for a moment, before Minerva raised her head to look at Ro and Poppy. "Here's what I think. The Quidditch Season will be finished in two weeks, and our exams take up the last week of May. If we can hang on until then, we'll be able to focus entirely on dealing with... with this." She gestured vaguely to the quietly humming puffskeins dotted around the floor. "We'll owl Erika now, and hopefully she can make arrangements to take them in a month's time."

"I think it's all we can do." Poppy nodded with a sigh, and Ro murmured in agreement.

What with having to juggle revision, extra Quidditch practice and puffskein duties, the time passed quickly. The first match out of the two finals was between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, held on the first weekend of May. From where she was watching with Ro, Poppy, Irma and Millicent in the Stands, it was clear to Minerva that that the Slytherin team were playing just as foully as they had done against the Gryffindors in November and the Hufflepuffs in February. But her hope was not all gone as Hufflepuff had just about managed to beat Slytherin, until Owle Bullock slammed into Nina Hilliard and grabbed the Snitch, ending the game with a 190-50 score to Slytherin.

When they all went onto the pitch to meet Septima, it very quickly became apparent that Nina's injury was just one of many. Keeper and Captain Marvin Russell was practically holding up Chaser Tomoko Chang, who was looking very worse for wear as she'd fallen off her broomstick early in the game but continued playing. Brutus Scrimegeour and Duane Inglebee, the Beaters, were both sporting bloodied noses. A bruise was already blooming on Septima's forehead from colliding with a stray elbow when she joined Ro, Minerva, Poppy, Irma and Millicent, and combined with her grumpy expression she looked almost comical.

"Blasted. Absolutely blasted." Septima complained as Poppy felt the bump on her head, wincing just slightly.

"Hey, at least you're not going to be packed off to the Hospital Wing for the next two days." Ro offered with a grin.

Septima only huffed quietly in response, trying unsuccessfully to duck away from Poppy's touch. "Slytherin are almost guaranteed the Cup now. They took 240 points in the Gryffindor match and 190 points just now, though their loss to Hufflepuff only got them 40 points. Thank Merlin that Alfred Diggory is a good Seeker and the 'puffs managed to hold their own, or we may as well just hand the Cup over already."

"That doesn't make me feel any better about next weekend though." Ro said, and Minerva nodded grimly. "Nina gave me enough trouble in the Ravenclaw match."

"If Hufflepuff win next weekend and manage to get more than 220 points, they'll get the Cup." Millicent said, "You'll need to get..."

"Two hundred and sixty." Minerva filled in for her, as she'd worked out their standing that morning. "So even with catching the snitch, we still have to get 110 points."

Ro groaned. "Right. So if we don't want the snakes-" Irma flinched, "-sorry Irma- to win, I have to beat Alfred Diggory to the snitch and you, Larry and Fleamont have to get eleven goals past their Keeper."

Millicent laughed "Pretty much!"

"It sounds bad when you put it like that." Minerva said, her hopes of winning the Cup fading fast. Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Poppy and asked "How's Septima?"

"She doesn't need to see Madame Quinine, I'll give her some of that bruise paste I've got from the last Quidditch injury you lot presented me with!" Poppy shot Ro a reproachful look, making Minerva smile. "You go and get changed, then we'll all go up to our dormitory."

"And we can deal with whatever problem the puffskeins throw us next." Minerva heard Ro mutter quietly as they all walked towards the changing room.

After Septima changed back into her casual clothes, a No-Melt Ice Cube pressed to her forehead, they went back into the castle and up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. Poppy and Septima had gone up the stairs and into the dormitory first, though Poppy's shriek made Minerva and the others sprint the rest of the way and pile into the doorway to see what had shocked her. Pointing at Ro's bed told them all they needed to know; Georg and Gabriella had had four more babies.

"Now what are we going to do!" Poppy exclaimed exasperatedly, picking her tin of bruise paste from where it had been knocked from her bedside table to the floor. She sat Septima down on her bed and gently started dabbing the slimy paste onto her bump.

Ro turned to Millicent, her expression one of mild unease. "Can you take some off our hands? We've really got more than we can handle here."

"I'd be happy to, but we've got other roommates remember?" Millicent pointed out. "I don't think Emily would mind, though I'm not so sure about Bonnie and Mali. I'll ask them if things get any worse."

"And I don't suppose you could even take one?" Ro asked Irma, though Minerva knew it was unlikely.

Irma shook her head. "Out of the question. Druella hates Eileen's kitten, I doubt she'd be thrilled if I brought one of these into the dormitory."

"S'alright." Ro nodded, touching Irma's shoulder. "We'll just have to make the best of it until we can somehow get them to Erika. I owled her, and she said she'll make arrangements to come fetch them early next month."

The next week was taken up primarily by Quidditch practise every night for Minerva and Ro, so Poppy took over most of the puffskein-watching duties. By the time Saturday rolled around, it was really beginning to feel overcrowded in the dormitory. Minerva had to avoid treading on tiny puffskeins as she got into her Quidditch uniform before going down to breakfast, already feeling the nerves churning in her stomach as she thought about the upcoming match.

"Are you planning on skipping breakfast again?" Ro asked, buttoning up her outer robe.

Minerva nodded slightly, sitting down heavily on her bed. "I'm already feeling queasy; I'll ask Poppy to take a bowl of porridge into the stands with her, she can practise that warming charm that Professor Aurelius taught us before the holidays."

Ro chuckled quietly as she took hold of Minerva's wrist and led her towards the door. "Good luck getting Poppy to agree to that, you know how she gets sometimes."

"It's only because she cares." Minerva smiled as they went down the staircases and into the Great Hall.

The electric atmosphere unique to Quidditch days had already descended, with black and yellow banners decorating one end of the hall and red and gold covering the other. It was hard to pick out any Ravenclaws or Slytherins in the crowd as the hot day made house scarves unnecessary, so it took Minerva and Ro a while to find Septima, Millicent and Irma sat with Poppy at the Gryffindor table.

Poppy was already pushing a bowl of porridge towards Minerva, so she quickly shook her head. "I'm not having it now, could you keep it warm for after the match?"

Poppy sighed exasperatedly, but to Minerva's relief she did nod in agreement. "You have to come and get it straight after you finish playing though." She said, taking out her wand and casting the warming charm over the bowl.

"So how are you two feeling about those eleven goals?" Millicent asked, smiling sweetly.

Ro groaned, her head slumping forwards onto the table. "Don't remind me. I sneaked a look at the Hufflepuff's last practise yesterday evening, and Merlin's beard is Alfred a good Seeker. I hope Alastor's on top form to keep the goals from going in."

"Never mind the Keeper, it's the Chasers that this match rests on." Septima pointed out, patting Minerva's wrist.

"Morning you lot!" A sudden voice startled Minerva, and they all turned to see Alastor looking down on them. "Minerva, Ro, Fleamont wants to have a last team talk before the match." Not one to waste words, he simply nodded at them before moving back down the table to where the rest of the Gryffindor Team were huddled.

"Good luck, all of you." Septima grinned, and Millicent and Irma both nodded.

Poppy added "Be careful," giving Minerva especially a sharp glare. She smiled in amusement before following Ro to join their teammates, sitting down next to Larry Spencer-Moon.

"Right then you lot, this is the big one." Fleamont started with a grave tone of voice. "If we want that Quidditch Cup in Professor Dumbledore's office next year, which he's assured me he does, we've got a hefty challenge ahead of us. Minerva, Larry, we have to work together to get that Quaffle through the hoop as many times as humanely possible. Nancy, Ernest, we'll need you to watch our backs the whole time." The two Beaters nodded, then Fleamont turned to Ro. "I'm afraid you'll be on your own against the Bludgers, but even if you catch the Snitch we still need 11 goals so we can't afford to lose a Chaser. Keep Diggory distracted until I give you the go ahead, then grab that Snitch as fast as you can. Not before, got it?"

Ro saluted "Yes Captain!"

Fleamont nodded, his gaze sweeping slowly over each member of the team, before standing abruptly and motioning for them to follow him out of the Hall. They lingered in relative quiet beneath the Stands for a moment as the rest of the school arrived to watch, before collecting their brooms and marching out onto the pitch. Fleamont shook the hand of Captain Rodney Lloyd, before all 14 players mounted their brooms and started to hover above the ground. Minerva and Larry kept close behind Fleamont, ready to back him up when he raced in for the Quaffle.

Spinnet's whistle blasted, then they were off. Fleamont dove in front of Hufflepuff Chaser Florean Fortescue to grab the Quaffle, and both Minerva and Larry had to duck heavily to avoid flying straight into him. Fleamont's move seemed to take the Hufflepuffs by surprise, as they were uninterrupted as the Quaffle was passed between them up the pitch and straight over Rodney Lloyd's head through the hoop.

A grin split Minerva's face, but she didn't dwell on her elation for long before taking control of the Quaffle again, turning to pass to Larry. An incoming Bludger informed her quickly that the Hufflepuffs had regained their composure; she dropped several feet to avoid it and passed to Fleamont instead before rising back up to take Larry's throw. Another couple of passes, and the second goal was theirs.

Hufflepuff claimed the next goal, followed by another one for Gryffindor. Minerva was thinking that she, Fleamont and Larry were being given relatively little trouble from Hufflepuff's Beaters when she glanced upwards and saw both of them heavily flanking Ro. Leaving Fleamont and Larry to handle the Quaffle she changed course and soared towards Nancy.

"Ro needs some help!" Minerva shouted as she passed; Nancy nodded before turning her broom around to fly towards one of the Bludgers. A well-aimed swing of her club sent it straight towards where Ro was desparetely to shake off the Hufflepuff Beaters. It collided with the front of Jimmy Stebbins' broom handle, knocking him clean off the broomstick and straight down to the ground below.

With one Beater down and reassured that Ro could handle the remaining one by herself, Minerva turned her attention back to the scores. A brief moment of listening to Filius Flitwick's commentary gave her the score of 50:20 to Gryffindor, though another goal from Hufflepuff seconds later brought it to 50:30. Larry immediately took possesion of the Quaffle though, passing straight to Fleamont and it wasn't long before he had scored.

Ten minutes later, and the score was 100-60 still in Gryffindor's favour. Although Florean Fortescue and his fellow Chasers Helen Lambert and Sophie Sommerby were giving Minerva, Larry and Fleamont a run for their money, Alastor's superior Keeping was giving them the upper hand. Fleamont had taken a Bludger to the ribs though insisted on continuing the game despite the obvious pain he was in, meaning that it fell primarily on Minerva and Larry to get the last points they needed before Ro could get the Snitch.

The moment they needed came when a Bludger shot by Ernest whizzed passed Keeper Rodney's head, forcing him to swerve out of the way to avoid being hit. Minerva caught the Quaffle from Larry, picked up speed and lobbed it straight through the center hoop. Minerva was readying herself to take possession again when an almighty cheer caught her attention; she looked across the pitch, and her heart leapt when she saw Ro holding the still-fluttering Snitch in her hand.

"We've done it, we've won the Quidditch Cup!" Larry shouted joyously, high fiving both Nancy and Ernest as they swooped over to join them. Professor Dippet was walking onto the pitch with the cup in his hand, though to Minerva's surprise there were both red and green ribbons tied onto the handles. The cheers in the stands had died down too, giving way to an atmosphere thick with confusion.

Professor Dippet lifted his wand to his throat projecting his voice all around the pitch. "It seems that there has been a tie in this year's Tournament," he announced, his words causing a flurry of murmers from everyone. Minerva exchanged a confused glance with Larry before the terrible realisation hit her; they had needed to get 260 points to equal the 470 points held by the Slytherins. To beat them would have required an extra goal to be scored, meaning they had told Ro to catch the Snitch 10 points too early.

"Both the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch Teams have scored a final total of 470 points this season, and achieved two wins and one loss over the other Houses. There will be no tie-breaker, as the Houses have proved themselves to be exactly equal in their Quidditch abilities. This means that both Houses will be awarded an equal amount of House Points, and the Cup will alternate between them over the course of next year."

Fleamont dismounted his broom to shake hands with Professor Dippet and take one handle of the Quidditch Cup, the other hand pressed tightly to his bruised ribs. Slytherin Captain Edward Nott had walked onto the pitch to take the other handle, and remarkably unenthusiastic round of applause sounded around the pitch. It was painfully clear that not one person was happy with the disappointing result.

Except, as Minerva found out when sat in the Great Hall with her friends that evening, for Irma.

"This works out rather well for me." she said, her unusually bright smile a pleasant surprise, "It means I can be happy about the result while not being a traitor to either my House or my friends!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
So our first Quidditch Season is brought to a close, with a surprising plot twist! The idea came from when my own school's interhouse netball tournament in my final year ended in a tie between my house and another- the disappointment was so bitter. But in Irma's case, it makes for a pretty good situation._

 _Many many character references this chapter. Out of the Ravenclaw team: Marvin Russell is completely made up, Nina Hilliard takes the surname of Robert Hilliard who was Ravenclaw's Quidditch Captain and Fleur Delacour's Yule Ball date, Brutus Scrimegeour is completely canon and Tomoko Chang takes Cho Chang's surname. From the Hufflepuffs: Florean Fortescue is completely canon (the ice cream seller in Diagon Alley), Rodney Lloyd and Helen Lambert are completely made up, a Stebbins and a Sommerby were on the Hufflepuff Team at some point in the series, and Alfred Diggory is Cedric Diggory's uncle made up by me._

 _If my maths in the point standing is a little off, please point it out to me. My brain was tired when doing the sums!_

 _In between Quidditch stuff you can see the puffskein problem getting increasingly more problematic, which the next chapter will be almost entirely dedicated to._


	19. The Problem with Puffskeins

_May 1944_

* * *

In what seemed to Ro like mere days after the Quidditch final, exams were upon them. Academics had never been Ro's top priority in life, coming second place behind everything Quidditch related, so she surprised herself with the amount of hours she spent devoted to revising the year's work. As their exams in first year had been cancelled due to the petrification scare, they had no idea what they were in for and didn't want to be unprepared.

While revision took up most of the second years' time, especially Minerva and Irma who seemed to spend every spare moment with their noses in textbooks, they still had to handle the ever-growing puffskein issue. As the babies grew, it became harder and harder to even live in the Gryffindor dormitory. After the notes that Poppy had left out overnight about making Hair-Raising Solutions were shredded into nest material by the youngest babies, Millicent and Septima agreed to take a few off their hands.

"It only seems fair." Septima pointed out when she and Millicent arrived in the Gryffindor dormitory to choose who would be taken to Ravenclaw Tower. Irma was there too; she often joined the Gryffindor girls when revising in their own dormitory as she said the Slytherin Dungeon was too dark to concentrate in. "You three shouldn't have to handle the problem all on your own. Who do you want us to have?"

"You can take Georg and Gabriella for a start." Ro said, picking them off her bed and throwing them in Septima's direction. "And the youngest four- they still need names, we never got round to it. Will that be enough?"

Millicent nodded from where she was sat on the floor rounding up the young babies. "Definitely, or Bonnie Dale will blow a fuse when we get back." She looked at them all closely, before asking "Three girls and a boy, yes?"

"Yup."

"We should call one Galatea." Septima suggested. "That's Professor Merrythought's first name- she would be our mascot like Godric is, it keeps the G theme while being Ravenclaw specific."

"That's brilliant." Millicent grinned. "The other three can be Gloria, Giselle and Gareth. The Ravenclaw Tribe."

Ro nodded, already feeling a great deal better about the situation. "Awesome. They should keep you busy for a while!"

With their dormitory a little less crowded, finding room to revise became a great deal easier. When exam week rolled around, Ro was pleasantly surprised with how confident she felt both before and after all her exams. She knew she'd made a few stupid errors, like mixing up the Warlock Conventions of 1289 and 1709 in History of Magic, leaving her transfigured rabbit slippers with twitching noses in the Transfiguration practical and causing her left hand to swell up by dripping swelling solution onto it. The Potions practical had been their very last exam on the Friday afternoon, so in her eagerness to get out the door she'd spilt her sample when corking it in a test tube. Professor Slughorn had given her a Deflating Draught fairly quickly afterwards though, so her hand didn't remain swollen for too long. With their exams all over, she and the other second years hoped they'd be able to have a nice peaceful weekend.

But thoughts of a quiet night vanished when Ro, Poppy and Minerva returned to their dormitory to find dozens of teeth marks in the leg of Poppy's bed. They dismissed it as one of the owls playing around, and thought the same when later in the evening Poppy noticed the bottom of the curtains had been shredded too. It wasn't until Ro found more chew marks on her bedside table that she began to think something wasn't right, but she was so tired she just assumed her mind was playing tricks on her before going straight to sleep.

Ro dreamed she was doing her Potions practical and teeth marks started appearing in her cauldron, causing her swelling solution to pour out the holes and all over her right foot. She awoke with a sharp pain in that foot and sat up abruptly to see what was wrong, but when the pain faded away she guessed it had just been part of her dream. Although the sunlight was already peeking out the bottom of the curtains, she flopped back onto her pillow to try and grab a few more minutes sleep before Minerva and Poppy dragged her out of bed.

"OUCH!" Ro shrieked as the stabbing pain came back, this time just above her ankle. She whipped back the covers to see a small fluffy ball rolling quickly away from her leg, which was bleeding from two placed onto the bed sheet.

"Ro? Whatever is the matter?" Minerva's bleary voice sounded from her own bed as she sat up, and if it weren't from the blood seeping from her ankle Ro would have laughed at the sight of her. She had decided against plaiting her hair before bed the previous night and Ro knew she'd regret it now; her long black hair looked as though she had been dragged through a bush backwards.

Poppy was already out of bed and rushing towards Ro, but when Minerva made to follow her without putting her glasses on she tripped over a cluster of puffskeins and fell to the floor with a crash. Poppy looked uncertainly between Minerva and Ro, before Ro shooed her away to see to Minerva first. When she lifted her head from the floor there was blood on her face, and Poppy was instantly pinching the bridge of her nose and helping her to her feet.

"You are silly, you know your sight's awful and our bedroom is a minefield yet you try to get across it without glasses on." Poppy murmured quietly, putting an arm around Minerva's shoulders while keeping her fingers pinched tightly over Minerva's nose. "Let's get you cleaned up; Ro, put pressure on those puncture wounds and keep your leg in the air. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Ro nodded as Poppy closed the door, pressing down hard on the two sources of bleeding and rolling onto her back to stick her wounded leg into the air. Out of the corner of her eye she could see one of the young puffskeins sat by her head, but closed her eyes and ignored it. At least, she ignored it until what felt like a sharp nip to her ear made her sit up so fast her head was spinning. "What in Merlin's name is going on today?" she muttered to herself, before the puffskein caught her eye and her heart stopped. There was still very little light in the dormitory, but she would have sworn on the fact that there was blood underneath that puffskein's mouth. She grabbed hold on the puffskein and forced it's mouth open, but shrieked in pain again when it fastened tiny fangs into her finger. Waving her hand around to flick it off, it took her a moment to comprehend what was happening.

The sound of the door handle being turned caught her attention, and she looked up to see Poppy guiding Minerva into the dormitory. There was a handkercheif pressed against Minerva's nose, and when she reached her bed the first thing she did was very carefully put her glasses on. "Everything ok?" Ro asked them.

Poppy nodded, rummaging through her bedside table before pulling out the bruise paste tin. "Nothing broken, but she'll have a painful bruise once the bleeding stops. How's your leg-AAH!" She bent down for a moment, standing back up with a wriggling puffskein clamped in her fingers. "Did it.. did it..." she stuttered, lost for words as she looked at Ro. Ro nodded grimly, then winced as words started literally flooding out of Poppy's mouth. "You told us they weren't Fanged Puffskeins, but this thing just bit my toe!"

"As least you didn't wake up to find teeth stuck in your ankle." Ro offered with a weak laugh, lifting a hand to her face when she felt something dripping down her neck. "And now it's made my ear bleed too- you know what? I've had it. I'm going to Professor Dumbledore's office; we need to talk to Erika now." Anger flared in her chest as she spoke, thinking of all the trouble they could've been saved if she had never given them the puffskeins in the first place.

"We'll come with you." Minerva said through her handkerchief, her voice sounding like she had a bad head cold. Poppy sat down next to her and took the handkerchief away from Minerva's face, nodding satisfactorily when there was no sign of any more bleeding. Not even bothering with shoes, they left the dormitory and headed out of the portrait hole into the corridor.

As it was still a little while before breakfast, the corridors were practically empty as they walked quickly towards the main staircase. But as they reached the fifth floor, they were met with a very surprising sight. Septima and Millicent were heading towards the stairs with Professor Merrythought just behind them, levitating ahead of them the Ravenclaw Puffskein Tribe.

Professor Merrythought stopped and frowned slightly when she saw Ro, Minerva and Poppy. "What in Merlin's name has happened to you three?" she asked, and it was only then that Ro realised how rediculous they must look with blood slowly dribbling down Ro's leg and neck and around Poppy's foot, and Minerva with dried blood on her chin and upper lip. Then again the Ravenclaws didn't look much better; all three were in nightdresses and only Professor Merrythought had thought to put a dressing gown over the top.

"Well, ahh, Professor Merrythought, you see..." Ro started slowly, stalling for time as she tried to come up with something to say. "I guess Septima and Millie told you about their puffskein problem?"

Professor Merrythought nodded, and Septima mouthed an apology. "It seems that Miss Stretton who shares their dormitory has a puffskein allergy, which is why they brought the puffskeins to my office. There will be questions later about why there have been unauthorised pets smuggled into your dormitories, but for now we must focus on getting them out."

Ro winced, but Minerva came to her rescue. "Our own problem has taken a turn for the worst, Professor. The puffskeins seem to have grown... fangs."

"Fanged puffskeins in Gryffindor Tower." Professor Merrythought repeated, and when Ro, Poppy and Minerva all nodded her handless wrist flew to her forehead in despair. "This is not how I planned to spend my Saturday morning. Lets go down to Professor Dumbledore's office and see what he says about the situation."

They continued down the stairs to Professor Dumbledore's office, and when he answered his door there was a look of great bemusement on his face. "Galatea? Whatever is going on?" he asked Professor Merrythought, and Ro stayed quiet as she explained the problem. "Let me confer with Silvanus, he's dealt with puffskeins before and should know how best to face this problem." He motioned for Professor Merrythought and the second-years to enter his office before sweeping down the corridor.

"Hold still you three, and I'll get you cleaned up." Professor Merrythought said once the door had closed, letting the puffskeins fall to the floor. She crouched before Ro and traced her wand over the bite wounds in her leg, chanting under her breath an incantation that sounded almost like a song. Within seconds the skin had closed over the wound, then she used the Tergeo Charm to remove the blood from her leg.

"What was that spell?" Poppy asked eagerly, her eyes alight with interest. "The chanting one I mean, I've seen Tergeo used before.

Professor Merrythought performed the same spell on the bite on Ro's ear, before answering Poppy's question. "Vulnera Sanentur- one of the most useful but difficult healing spells there is. It can close even the most severe of wounds, though it isn't quite as good as Dittany potion. Give it a couple of years Poppy, then I don't see why you couldn't be taught how to do it."

Poppy was grinning all the while Professor Merrythought used the spell on her bleeding foot and then removed the blood from Minerva's face. "Get some bruise cream on that dear." she said, patting Minerva's shoulder.

"Professor Merrythought, I need to Floo call my sister." Ro said urgently once they were all healed. "She's a Dark Creature Catcher, and she'll be able to get rid of the puffskeins really easily."

"Ah yes, I remember Erika talking to me before her graduation that she wanted to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Well if Professor Dumbledore has any Floo powder handy, I think that would be our best idea." She walked over to the fireplace and picked up a small box, taking a handful of the silvery powder from the box and tossing it into the hearth. Ro heard Poppy gasp as the flames turned a brilliant emerald, remembering that as a Muggleborn Poppy wouldn't have used the Floo network before.

When Professor Merrythought motioned Ro forward she knelt in front of the hearth and stuck her head into the fire. "3a Maryland Road" she said clearly, bracing herself and closing her eyes as her head and shoulders felt as though they were flying through space despite her knees still sat on Professor Dumbledore's fireplace.

"Ro?" Erika's voice said, and Ro opened her eyes to see her older sister bent over the fireplace. "What brings your head into my fire-"

Ro didn't give her a chance to finish her question. "YOU NEED TO COME AND GET THESE PUFFSKEINS RIGHT NOW!" she shouted, "THEY'RE INFESTING GRYFFINDOR TOWER, THEY'RE INFESTING RAVENCLAW TOWER AND TO TOP IT ALL SOME OF THEM HAVE GOT FANGS! COME AND GET US OUT OF THIS MESS YOU PUT US IN!"

Silence follower her outburst, before she heard someone laughing in the far corner of Erika's living room. Erika yelled "Oh shut up Johnnie!" over her shoulder before turning back to Ro with an sheepish smile. "Well you've certainly brightened Johnnie's morning- he stayed the night because we were up late on duty last night. I think we've got a free morning, give us a couple of minutes and we'll be with you."

Ro withdrew her head from the fire to see Professors Dumbledore and Kettleburn standing with Professor Merrythought, Minerva, Poppy, Septima and Millicent. "Erika and her colleague are going to come and catch them all for us- if that's ok, Professor Dumbledore?" She added the last question hastily, not wanting to add to the mountains of trouble she was sure she'd already landed them all in.

But to her surprise, Professor Dumbledore didn't look in the least bit angry. "We've all agreed that will be the best course of action. Since Ravenclaw Tower has been cleared already, we'll go back up to your dormitory and catch the puffskeins when your sister has arrived- ah, I expect this will be them?"

Sure enough, Erika was stumbling out of the fireplace follower a second later by Johnnie. "Morning Professor Dumbledore, Professor Merrythought, Professor Kettleburn," Erika greeted them with a smile, "Pleasure to be back."

"It's good of you to come back Miss Hooch, Mr Proudfoot." Professor Dumbledore said as he opened his office door. "Now that you're here, I suggest we all get to Gryffindor Tower before these girls' dormitory is reduced to splinters by our unexpected guests."

To Ro's relief the Gryffindor Common Room was still empty when they all entered through the portrait hole- she really didn't want to have to explain what three Professors, two Dark Creature Catchers and six levitating puffskeins were doing there. Erika and Johnnie's help turned out to be very necessary, as they turned out to be surprisingly feisty when being chased after. Professor Dumbledore received a bite to the end of his long nose as he peered under Minerva's bed to check if it was clear, and Professor Kettleburn's wooden leg ended up with several chunks bitten out of it. But after a long and exhausting 30 minutes, all 10 of the Gryffindor puffskeins had been Frozen using the Immobulus Charm and lay motionless on the floor.

"Merlin's Beard, if we knew the problem was this bad we'd have come for them sooner." Erika huffed as she pulled a net from her rucksack and gently started filling it with puffskeins. "Professor Dumbledore, I really am sorry about all this. I gave Ro the puffskeins, it isn't their fault."

"You always were a mischief-maker Miss Hooch." Professor Dumbledore chuckled as he closed the bite wound on his nose. "As the damage is easily repairable, I see no reason for additional punishments. I daresay these girls have learned why it is best to adhere to the list of recommended pets."

"Yeah, we really really have." Ro said with a smile, and Poppy, Minerva, Septima and Millicent quickly nodded in agreement.

Professor Dumbledore walked over to the now full net of puffskeins, frowning thoughtfully. "Although, I had grown rather fond of our makeshift Gryffindor Quidditch Team mascot that always sits on your shoulder, Miss Pomfrey. If my fellow staff members raise no objection, I don't see why a single exception can't be made."

The girls exchanged hopeful looks as Professor Dumbledore turned to Professor Merrythought and Professor Kettleburn. "I raise no objections." Professor Merrythought smiled.

"Neither do I." Professor Kettleburn added. "I hope a number of you are hoping to take up my class next year, as you've already proved your prowess in the field of Magical Creatures!"

"That settles it then." Professor Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "Miss Pomfrey, if you would like to find our mascot?"

Poppy took the net from Erika and started rummaging slowly through the puffskeins, pulling out Godric and setting him down on the floor. Taking her wand from her bedside table, she pointed it as Godric's chest and said "Rennervate." She grinned in delight when Godric looked up at her and started humming loudly, laughing as he hopped up onto her shoulder. "Thank you Professor!"

"You are most welcome Miss Pomfrey, and now we will leave you all to continue with your morning. Miss Hooch, Mr Proudfoot, let me show you back to my office."

"See ya next month, Ro!" Erika called as she left the dormitory with the Professors. When the door clicked shut, they all breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

"Great Merlin I'm glad that's over." Septima said, flopping down onto Minerva's bed.

"I think all of us are." Minerva added. Her nose had turned a delicate shade of mauve since they left Professor Dumbledore's office, and with the puffskein problem over Poppy busied herself with finding her tin of bruise paste.

"We need to go and find Irma." Ro suddenly said, realising that she wouldn't have a clue where they all were. "She's not going to believe the morning we've had!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Wow this chapter turned out longer than expected. The title is a parody/tribute to a star trek episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles'. Since according to the HP wiki puffskeins take their inspiration from tribbles, I thought it would be quite fitting._

 _Well here we have it folks, the thrilling conclusion to the puffskein saga. All fun and games! Initially the puffskeins weren't going to have fangs, but I thought that would be an interesting twist. I guess since the puffskeins all came from a fanged puffskein operation, the fang gene was dormant apart from in those few babies. As a biology student I can confirm it's scientifically possible for that to happen, though it's to complicated to explain right now! Keeping Godric was a last minute change of mind on my part, I thought it was quite Dumbledore-like to suggest something like that. And he does make an adorable mascot._

 _Minerva's clumsiness without her glasses is pretty much exactly like me when I haven't got my glasses on. I constantly trip over stuff, especially my four cats. I have also given myself nosebleeds from faceplanting the floor, so it's definitely possible!_

 _So we meet Erika and her friend Johnnie for the first time. They were both in the same year at Hogwarts, both Gryffindors, and graduated two years before Ro started. Dark Creature Catcher isn't a canon job, but I thought it would be quite a sensible job to exist! 3a Maryland Road, the address of Erika's flat, was completely plucked from thin air. Maryland Road London, does exist but I don't know if there are any flats on it._

 _This is the last full chapter of second-year, next chapter will mostly be set in the summer holiday. I know second year's been quite bit shorter than first year, but third year will be a very full and probably even longer year with lots and lots of exciting stuff going on!_

 _For the forseeable future, I think I'll be writing chapters on a weekly schedule. I'd love to spend all my time writing, but unfortunately my collage seems to disagree. So chapter 20 should be out next Monday :)_


	20. Summer Days

_June 1944_

* * *

Without Quidditch, puffskeins or exams to take up their time, the last few weeks of term were blissfully quiet. Exam results were issued in the middle of June, and Minerva was delighted to see that she had passed every exam with flying colours (and some even higher than 100%, which she wasn't quite sure was possible). In what felt like no longer than the blink of an eye they were sat down in the Great Hall enjoying the End of Term Feast, their trunks packed and Gryffindor celebrating their first win of the House Cup in three years.

"Well I'm not sure this year was that much quieter than last year." Minerva laughed as she finished her meal. "Maybe we avoided getting petrified, but we've had puffskeins, Quidditch and dragon pox to keep us occupied instead!"

"Do you really think that any year here could be a quiet year?" Ro asked, looking around the hubbub of the Great Hall as if to prove her point. "Hearing stories from Kurtis, Erika and Tavin, I'd say it's pretty impossible."

Poppy nodded in agreement. "Are you going to see them all over the summer?" she asked Ro.

"Yeah, I'm staying with Mum and Tavin at Mum's house in Little Wakering. Kurtis has got some time off so he and his girlfriend will be there and I know Erika's planning on being there for a while too. Can you go back to London yet?"

Shaking her head, Poppy sighed quietly as she replied "I might have done but London's under attack again. It's worse than bombs this time, apparently they're rockets that fly themselves here before falling and exploding."

Minerva could tell from Ro's expression that she had no idea what a rocket was, so she gave her a quick explanation before turning back to Poppy. "So will you be with your Aunt again like last summer?"

"No." It was Ro's voice that answered, and Minerva and Poppy both gave her a look of surprise. "No, you're not going back there again. I already asked Mum; you're coming home with me."

Poppy's face broke into a hopeful smile. "Are- are you really sure?"

"Yes, you fruitcake. Do you really think I'd let you spend the summer with no one to talk to? And you're welcome to come and stay too Min, just give us an owl and turn up. Bring your brother too, I reckon Emery'd like to meet one of his classmates before they get to Hogwarts. The more the merrier."

Minerva remembered that Ro's cousin Emery was starting Hogwarts in September just like her younger brother Malcolm was. "I'll ask mother and father. Thank you, I'd really appreciate that."

Further arrangements were made between Minerva's parents and Ro's mother at Kings Cross Station, so in the second week of August Minerva and Malcolm were ready with their packed trunks. As the McGonagalls' home wasn't connected to the Floo network, it had been agreed that Mrs McGonagall would take them by Side-Along Apparation.

"Have you two both got everything you'll need for the year?" She asked Minerva and Malcolm in turn. "I've spoken to Mrs Abbott-Hooch, and she's said she'll take you both to Diagon Alley to buy all your school supplies for the year. There should be enough Galleons in your trunk to cover the costs, Minerva."

Minerva nodded. "Will Malcolm need a wand too?"

"No, we brought that for him on his birthday. Now, both of you, take hold of one of my arms each and keep a tight hold of both me and your belongings."

Clinging tightly to her mother's arm while gripping the handle of her trunk and Fergus' cage in her other, Minerva closed her eyes and braced herself. What happened next was a sensation quite unlike anything she had ever experienced before; it was like the air pressure had been increased to the point where she could hardly breathe for the pushing on her chest. They were twisting and turning through the air, and when she finally felt solid ground beneath her feet it took all of her Quidditch-honed control to stop her from collapsing to the floor. Malcolm wasn't so lucky, he took three steps before promptly vomiting into an unfortunately placed bush.

"I take it that was your first time Apparating, young man?" There was a man in his mid-twenties approaching them from the nearest house, and by the hawkish yellow eyes Minerva could tell instantly he had to be a relation of Ro's. He shook Mrs McGonagall's hand and said "Kurtis Hooch, ma'am, and welcome to Little Wakering."

"Isobel McGonagall." Minerva's mother smiled briefly at Kurtis, before pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiping Malcolm's face.

A shout of her name caught Minerva's attention, and she looked over to see two people sprinting towards her at great speeds. She only realised it was Poppy and Ro seconds before they barrelled into her, nearly flattening her to the floor. "Good to know you're pleased to see me," she groaned, her stomach still not quite settled after the Apparation.

"Leave her be Rolanda, she'll have had quite a ride coming all the way from Scotland." A gentle reprimanding voice make Ro roll her eyes and reluctantly release Minerva from her crushing hug. Behind them was a woman in her mid forties, carrying a small jar and a spoon which she handed to Mrs McGonagall. "I saw you all Apparate in from the kitchen window, and thought one of you two may need a spoonful of this."

Ro rolled her eyes. "She's a Quidditch player Mum, she doesn't get motion sick!"

"Well it's better to be safe than sorry, and the same can't be said for poor Malcolm here. It's wonderful to finally meet you at last, Minerva, Rolanda and Poppy have spoken of you so much this holiday."

"Thank you for having me here, Mrs Abbott-Hooch," Minerva started, but Ro's mother shook her head.

"You must call me Aunt Felicity, both of you," she insisted, "We don't have many formalities in this House. Kurtis, dear, could you take Minerva and Malcolm's belongings up to their bedrooms? The girls are all in Rolanda's attic and Malcolm will be sharing with Emery."

Minerva, Ro and Poppy followed Kurtis into the Hooch's house, walking through the kitchen before going up two sets of twisting stairs. "Mum's room is on the first floor, so is Kurtis' room and Tavin's. On the second floor is Mallory's room where Emery and Malcolm are sleeping, and Erika's room with Heidi and Anja in. Emery's sisters, remember?" Minerva nodded as Ro explained, leading them up to the attic room door. "And this is our room." she announced as she pushed it open, revealing a small but cosy room with the three beds taking up most of the floor space. The walls were plastered with a mix of photographs and Quidditch posters, and the desk was buried under the same sort of clutter that always covered Ro's area of their Hogwarts dormitory. A massive window overlooked the house's large garden and the village of Little Wakering beyond.

Kurtis put Minerva's trunk down in front of the beds. "I'll leave you three to get Minerva settled." He said as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"How's your summer been, Min?" Ro asked, sitting down on the end of one of the beds. "Oh this one is yours by the way."

Minerva opened her trunk as she considered. "It was nice to see mother and father again, but to be honest it was terribly dull. I've been looking forward to coming here since we left Kings Cross. How are things here?"

"Pretty good I'd say," Ro nodded, "Godric's been reintroduced to his old friends from Gryffindor Tower- she gave Mum all the non-fanged puffs and just sent the fanged ones to the Marizoologists. They're living in a pen in the garden, remind me and we'll go see them later. Oh and a word of advice, don't play Exploding Snap with Pops. Kurtis taught her how to play, and she's scarily good at it?"

As Minerva laughed, Poppy put on a pretent sad face. "Aww you're no fun Ro, I was looking forward to beating her."

"Min's probably never played Exploding Snap before, it wouldn't exactly be very fair!" Ro exclaimed exasperatedly. "I'll let you thrash Septima and Millicent on the Hogwarts Express though, I've seen them play and they're good but nowhere near you."

"I just can't wait to get back to Hogwarts." Poppy sighed. "Not that I don't love it here though, but being not being able to use magic is getting near the point of torturous!"

Ro laughed at her dramatic tone. "How did you cope before you got your Hogwarts letter- you didn't even know magic existed then!"

"Well I kind of did." Poppy shrugged, sitting down on the floor beside Minerva. "I did a lot of accidental magic, though by the time I was nearly eleven I could do it intentionally. If someone scraped their knee I could make it stop bleeding if I concentrated hard enough, and there was one time when I knocked something off a shelf but it fell so slowly I could just pick it out of the air."

"A healer from the start!" Ro laughed, though Minerva could tell she was heavily impressed.

Poppy giggled, blushing slightly from the praise. "I suppose so, yes. But when I healed my cousin's split lip last summer, I got a letter from the Ministry of Magic with a warning for using Underage Magic!"

"I guess that counts as deliberately using magic outside of school." Minerva said. "I don't see the point of that rule, surely we'd learn magic faster if we were allowed to practice magic outside of school?"

Ro nodded with a frown. "We should talk to Tavin about it, he worked for the Ministry so I bet he'll know why. We don't get to use wands here even though we're in a wizarding village, but the great thing is we can use our broomsticks!"

Minerva's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

"Yep!" Ro grinned, "Mum's brother Uncle Raymond used to be a Professional Quidditch coach, but when he inherited Abbott Hall Farm he retired from Quidditch to run the farm. He's cast anti-Muggle charms all around the edge so we can fly all we like."

"Just like around Hogwarts Castle." Poppy put in.

Ro nodded "Don't suppose you're up for going down there after lunch? Kurtis and his girlfriend always play with us and I bet it won't be too hard to persuade Heidi and Anja to join in. Emery won't play- he hates flying- so he can stay with Malcolm on the ground."

"I can't believe you even need to ask that question!" Minerva gasped, frantically digging through her trunk until she pulled out her Comet 180. "I have been so desparate to get back into the sky all summer, and I've used up all my wood polish simply because I needed to do something with this!"

"Well hurry up and unpack then, the sooner you're done the sooner we go!" Ro laughed, and the speed at which Minerva started unpacking her trunk had Poppy groaning in mock despair.

In the remaining weeks of their summer holiday, Minerva spent enough time in the air to make up for the weeks she's spent confined to the ground. Soaring high above Abbott Hall Farm was almost as exhilarating as it was flying over the Hogwarts grounds; seeing Little Wakering a hundred feet below and the nearby city of Southend in the distance was an experience that couldn't be rivalled by much. They also recieved a great deal of Quidditch tips from Ro's Uncle Raymond, who Kurtis had persuaded to overlook his Hufflepuff roots to give the Gryffindors some helpful advice.

Uncle Raymond had refereed a makeshift Quidditch match between the Hoochs, Minerva and Poppy nearly every day since Minerva's arrival. Poppy hadn't been on a broom since the end of their first year Flying lessons, but with a great deal of patience and encouragement they were able to get her airborne again. Kurtis and his girlfriend Carrie were both incredibly skilled players, as Kurtis had played Gryffindor Chaser for six of his Hogwarts years and Carrie had been the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain for two of hers. Heidi and Anja played with them occasionally, and although they were both young Minerva couldn't help but note the obvious Quidditch potential they both had. Their games became even more fun whenever Erika and Johnnie visited, as they too were experienced Quidditch players who had flown for the Gryffindor Team.

The excitement of going back to Hogwarts began when their booklists arrived by owl a week before they were due to go back to school. With the extra subjects they were taking there were a lot more books to get than there had been in previous years, especially Minerva with her five additional subjects. As Aunt Felicity has wanted to get their shopping done and out of the way, early the next morning found Minerva, Ro, Poppy, Emery and Malcolm Flooing into the Leaky Cauldrom behind Aunt Felicity before making their way through the pub and into Diagon Alley. Aunt Felicity took Malcolm and Emery to Madame Malkins to get their robes fitted, so Minerva, Ro and Poppy were left along in Flourish and Botts. They were in the Care of Magical Creatures section of the bookshop with a familiar shout made them all turn around; a surprised smile appeared on Minerva's face when they saw Septima tearing down the aisle towards them.

"I can't believe you're all here!" Septima grinned as she skidded to a halt. "We knew we'd probably see some people from Hogwarts- Wilhelmina and her sisters were paying for their books just as we arrived- but I thought it would be too much to ask to see all three of you!"

"How has your summer been?" Poppy asked as she pulled three copies of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' from the shelf.

Septima sighed, her joyful attitude vanishing instantly. "Not good at all. Mother and Father had a lot of rows, more than usual, and Irma was completely caught in the middle of it all."

Ro's eyes widened. "Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure, she seemed teary at the time but hasn't wanted to talk about -" at the sound of approaching footsteps, Septima looked around and hissed "She's coming!"

Sure enough, Irma appeared around the corner with her arms laden with books. "Hello," she said stiffly, her dark brown eyes cold.

"Hi Irma," Poppy said with a soft smile, "Are you alright?"

Irma nodded curtly, refusing to meet their gazes. Minerva got the impression that she was fighting between needing to tell them the truth and wanting to keep her feelings to herself as usual.

"Anybody else need a Magical Creatures book?" Ro asked to break the tense atmosphere, taking two from Poppy and practically throwing one at Minerva. "Irma, you need one don't you? Septima?"

"Yes, thank you." Irma smiled this time as she took the book from Ro, but her face still looked emotionless.

Septima shook her head. "No, I just need to find the Divination section before I'm onto core subjects."

"So do I." Poppy said, looking down at her pile. "We've already picked up the Runes Dictionary and the Muggle Studies book, we just needed to find Arithmancy and Divination."

"It's just down there," Septima pointed to behind Minerva, "Turn right at the window and go straight on, you can't miss it."

"Hey Min, we'll grab Unfogging the Future for you while you go find the Arithmancy section." Ro suggested. "Mum's given me money for ice-cream when we're finished so if we club together we'll get done sooner."

Minerva nodded her thanks before turning down the aisle in the direction Septima had pointed her in. When she reached the Arithmancy bookshelf with its bottom shelf overflowing with piles of number charts, she put her existing book pile down on the floor and was surprised to see Irma still standing beside her. "I thought you weren't going to take Arithmancy?" Minerva asked.

"I wasn't." Irma spat bitterly, putting her books beside Minerva's. "My father had other ideas. He said he wouldn't accept any child of his not taking the subject he is so famed for." She broke off with a short laugh before continuing, her voice wobbling dangerously. "It's ironic really, the first time he cares about me is to tell me I have to do what he says or else."

Sympathy flood though Minerva as Irma broke down into tears, something that the stoic girl had only come close to doing once in the time Minerva had known her. As Irma buried her face in her hands, Minerva wrapped her arms around Irma's shoulders in an attempt to calm the sobs shaking her frame.

"Mother was really angry I'd chosen to do Muggle Studies too," She wept between sniffs, "said I was a disgrace to her family, I know other people think it already but I'd never heard her say it before."

"It's alright," Minerva said soothingly, rubbing Irma's back comfortingly. "You're here with us now, and we'd never think of you like that. You're our friend Irma and you always will be, no matter what anyone else thinks of you."

Irma sniffed into Minerva's shoulder, before drawing back to rub her eyes with her sleeve. "I know," she said, offering her a watery smile, "I know. Thanks, Minerva."

Minerva smiled, pulling Irma back into a hug. "It's what friends are for."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _A nice relaxing chapter in contrast to the crazy stuff that's filled second year. Minerva's mother makes an appearance- I pictured her as a gentle woman though reasonably strict and fiercely protective over her children. We've also got a lot of Ro's family members making their debuts. Felicity Abbott-Hooch is in my mind a gentler version of Molly Weasley, always willing to welcome anyone into her home. Kurtis is based on my older brother, someone really cool who you can't help look up to. His girlfriend Carrie MacDougal will get properly introduced later- her surname is taken from a canon character in Ravenclaw hence her own House. Malcolm and Emery will become more central from next chapter onwards as they'll be in Hogwarts with the girls, and the same applies to Wilhelmina's sisters (both canon characters who you'll recognise instantly)._

 _Little Wakering is a real place, a tiny village not far from the city of Southend which is situated where the River Thames meets the sea. I've known for ages that the Hoochs would live in Southend (not sure why), but while looking around on Google Images for nearby village I came across Abbott Hall Farm which is also a real place. I had already decided that Ro's mother's family would be the Abbotts, and when I found Abbott Hall Farm it was the freakiest coincidence ever. So as a result, Felicity's brother Raymond Abbott is the owner of Abbott Hall Farm._

 _Irma has definitely risen through the ranks to become one of my favourite characters in this story. She's most certainly not your stereotypical Slytherin, something I really wanted to portray. I'm sorry for making her so tragic, but it makes for nice character development moments so I can excuse myself._

 _Next week, third year starts with a bang! And I mean that very literally ;)_


	21. Short-Lived Peace

_September 1944_

* * *

What with being away in Little Wakering, a village that had remained virtually free from war damage, nothing could have prepared Poppy for returning to London. It was immediately obvious that the city had endured a great deal of bomb damage over the summer. Buildings on every street had large chunks missing from their walls, and while Poppy, Minerva, Ro, Malcolm, Emery, Erika, Johnnie and Aunt Felicity were journeying from Erika's flat to Kings Cross Station they came across many empty spaces on streets where an unfortunate house had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble.

"It's crazy," Ro murmured when they turned onto a particularly damaged road, sounding unusually subdued. "How much this place has been flattened. I swear it wasn't this bad at the beginning of summer."

"London's been under fire from these Muggle rockets constantly since June." Aunt Felicity said, her hand on Ro's shoulder. "They seem to be tailing off for now, though goodness knows how long it will be until it all starts up again."

"I suppose it's easy to forget about it while we're at Hogwarts." Minerva shrugged. "Apart from our own letters from family, we don't hear anything. Really, I think Professor Dippet should tell us what's going on."

Erika nodded in agreement. "I was in my seventh year during the main Blitz- you didn't hear anything apart from what Mum said in her owls. Or when people disappeared from school for a week or so because a relative had been killed."

Poppy shuddered, thinking of her own parents in their London hospital. "Don't," she said hoarsely, "it's too close right now, I don't want to think about it." She smiled gratefully at Minerva as she put her arm around Poppy's shoulders.

"Don't you worry Pops." Ro said with an attempt at sounding carefree. "We'll be at Kings Cross in a few minutes, then we'll be on the train and away from it for another year."

As it turned out, getting to Kings Cross didn't mean the end of their war-caused troubles in the slightest. Erika and Johnnie left them at the station door to get to the Ministry of Magic, so it was Aunt Felicity who took them through onto Platform Nine and 3 Quarters. Once on the platform Poppy had to blink a couple of times to check her eyes weren't playing tricks on her; the Hogwarts Express wasn't there.

"Merlin's Beard, how do they forget to bring the train to the station!" Ro exclaimed, gesturing pointedly to the place where the engine usually stood. "We always go to Hogwarts on September 1st, it's not like they can get the date wrong or anything!" It was clear that everyone else on the platform shared in Ro's thoughts. Poppy spotted Abraxas Malfoy with his father who was shouting angrily at the train conductor, and Wilhelmina Grubbly was stood with her two sisters looking rather lost.

"Hey, isn't that the Minister of Magic?" Ro asked suddenly, pointing across the platform. "I remember him from when he came into Hogwarts during the petrification epidemic." Sure enough, Larry Spencer-Moon was stood with his father and a young boy who looked like he could be Larry's brother.

"I wonder if he knows what's going on." Poppy wondered, and was proved right seconds later when the Minister lifted his wand to his throat before starting to speak.

"Hogwarts Students and their parental figures, please may I have some quiet," the Minister started, and silence fell on the platform. "As I'm sure you've guessed by now, the Hogwarts Express will not be taking the students to Hogwarts this year. I regret to inform you that as the train passed Sheffield yesterday it sustained significant bomb damage, and will need extensive repair work before it can run again. Professor Dippet and I have arranged a system of Portkeys to transport the children to the Hogwarts grounds."

Several people started shouting as the Minister paused, seemingly unhappy with the arrangement. "A monumental magical object rendered useless after a single encounter with some Muggle playthings, and Portkeys used as a substitute," hollered the man stood next to Walburga and Alphard Black, who Poppy could only guess from his similarity to Alphard was their father. "This is unacceptable, Spencer-Moon!"

"You are forgetting, Mr Black, that before the Hogwarts Express was invented by one of my predecessors, all children travelled to Hogwarts via Portkey!" Mr Spencer-Moon shouted over the din, which quieted down immediately on his response to Mr Black's statement. "This will take quite some organising, so it is essential we have co-operation from all if we are to get every child safely to the school. The Portkeys will leave in 2 minute intervals, with each Portkey taking a maximum of six children from any house in one year. To begin the operation, please may we have the first years on the edge of the platform where you will be ticked off our register before using the Portkeys to travel. Please leave your luggage, it will be transported separately."

"That's you two then." Aunt Felicity said, looking down at Malcolm and Emery. "Be good, both of you, and don't forget to write regularly to your parents and I." She kissed Emery's cheek and ruffled Malcolm's hair before pushing them in the direction of the platform edge where dozens of first years were gathering near a mountainous pile of newspapers. The train conductor beckoned the first group of students forward and handed them a newspaper, before turning to a long list he pulled out of his waistcoat pocket.

"I can see Irma and Septima over there, let's go find them so we can go together."Ro suggested, distracting Poppy's gaze from the train conductor. She and Minerva both nodded, but as they tried to slip away they were interrupted by Aunt Felicity.

"Heading off to find your friends?" Aunt Felicity asked; she had briefly met Irma and Septima when they brought their school supplies in Diagon Alley. She ignored Ro's protest as she swept her into a hug, rocking her in her arms for a moment as she said "Make sure you write, I want to hear everything you three get up to."

"Muuum, we promise." Ro rolled her eyes as Aunt Felicity held her tight, leaning into her for a moment before wriggling out of her arms. "Every Quidditch match, everything we do at Christmas, as long as you promise that Mallory won't send me any more boring books!"

Aunt Felicity laughed. "I'll do my best. See you in July, and make sure you bring Poppy and Minerva home with you. The house hasn't been this loud for years, it'll seem quiet now with just Tavin, Heidi and Anja to go home to." She briefly hugged Poppy and Minerva before finally letting them get away into the crowd.

As they pushed their way through the sea of people, Poppy kept an eye on what was going on at the edge of the platform. Although she'd read about Portkeys in one of her books about the wizarding world, she'd never seen them in action before. Six first years were holding leather boot, and after the train conductor read out their names he started counting down with his pocket watch. The moment he finished counting the boot and students started whizzing around, rising slightly off the ground before vanishing into thin air.

"Have you ever used a Portkey before?" Poppy asked, becoming more nervous by the second.

Ro nodded. "Once; I was about four and we went for a family camping trip in the New Forest. Hi Septima, hi Irma!" she grinned as they reached the twins, who holding tightly to each other's hands as people pushed and shoved all around them.

As Poppy was about to say hello, she was interrupted by the train conductor shouting several familiar names. "Pomona Grubbly, Rosmerta Grubbly, Malcolm McGonagall, Emery Hooch, Imogen Farley, Winston Spencer-Moon!" Poppy stood on her tiptoes just in time to see Malcolm and Emery holding onto a newspaper along with Larry's brother, Wilhelmina's two sisters and a blond-haired girl she didn't recognise, before the Portkey activated and they were spun out of sight.

"We've got a while before they reach the third years, so let's try and find Millicent." Septima suggested. They all nodded in agreement, and as the rest of the first years and all the second years were Portkey-ed away to Hogwarts they scoured the platform for any sign of Millicent.

Their search turned more hurried as the third years were called up to take the Portkeys, though a flash of golden-brown hair on the edge of the platform caught her attention as the train conductor shouted out the second round of third year names. "Emily Stretton, Mali Shafiq, Sylvia Macmillan, Helen Lambert, Millicent Bagnold, Bonnie Dale!" Ro and Septima both waved frantically as they realised Millicent was leaving, and she flashed them a grin before disappearing along with her Portkey.

"In that case, we ought to go up." Minerva said, and they pushed their way through the crowd to join the queue of third-years. The next Portkey took the four Gryffindor boys in their year- Lyall Lupin, Hector Bones, Stanley Sanders and Edwin Doyle- along with Jimmy Stebbins and Norma Clarke from Hufflepuff. They were followed by Druella and Abraxas' gang of Slytherins, who took the time to sneer in Poppy and Irma's direction before vanishing, then went three Ravenclaw boys, two more Hufflepuffs and a single Slytherin. Just as Poppy, Ro, Minerva, Irma and Septima were about to go up to get the next Portkey, Wilhelmina Grubbly came sprinting up to them.

"I think all my dorm-mates have gone, d'you mind if I join you?" she asked between puffs of breath.

"Sure you can!" Ro grinned as the train conductor ushered them forward and held out a newspaper, which they all took hold of tightly.

"Minerva McGonagall, Penelope Pomfrey, Septima Vector, Irma Vector, Rolanda Hooch, Wilhelmina Grubbly!" The train conductor shouted, before counting down from 5 using his pocket watch.

As he yelled out the number one, Poppy felt as if someone had reached into her torso and grabbed around her intestines to yank her backwards. She saw the platform spinning around them, everything apart from her friends' faces around her blurring as they increased in speed. Kings Cross vanished behind a cloud of white, which cleared a second later just as the ground rushed up out of nowhere and slammed into her feet. Septima lurched into her and they both fell over backwards, Poppy closing her eyes tightly as her stomach threatened to bring her breakfast back up. She lay there for a moment, concentrating on breathing evenly and regaining her sense of balance, before very slowly opening her eyes and sitting back up.

Ro was the only one standing; everyone else was either just managing to sit up or still sprawled out on the grass. Septima had propped herself up on her elbows, breathing heavily, while a ghostly pale Minerva on Poppy's other side was pressing a hand tightly to her stomach as she sat up. Wilhelmina's rosy freckled face had taken on a slight green tinge, and the moment she tried to stand up had her hunched over and throwing up. Irma was still lying down, her hands covering her face so it was impossible to see her expression.

"Well that was certainly a lot quicker than taking the train." Ro said breezily, prompting Poppy to take a good look at their surroundings. Hogwarts Castle was just behind them, and they were sat on the Quidditch practise field just underneath Ravenclaw Tower. All around them were other Portkeys arriving, and teachers were running around helping shaky students through the door and into the school.

"I never want to do that again." Septima said faintly, and Minerva and Irma both slowly nodded their agreement. "I feel like I've left most of me back in London."

Ro laughed at Septima's response, her loud cheeriness making Poppy wince. "Ah come on you lot, it's not that bad," she grinned, offering Minerva a hand and pulling her up. Wilhelmina had sat back down, her head in her hands, but Irma and Septima had both struggled to their feet whilst clinging onto each other for support.

"We've got the sixth group of third years here!" A shout behind them made Poppy turn around to see Professor Merrythought heading towards them. "Welcome back, all of you, how are you feeling after your travel?"

"Not so great," Wilhelmina groaned as Minerva and Septima helped her slowly to stand up.

"You're not the only one dear, I think Madame Quinine has the entirety of the first years in the Hospital wing with Portkey Sickness. Professor Dippet did suspect this would be the result of bringing you all here by Portkey, but with no other choice we just planned ahead by packing several of the classrooms with plenty of cushions for you all to rest on. Third year girls are in my room, so once you've got your bearings back I'll take you all up there."

Poppy suddenly realised she was the only one still on the floor, and smiled gratefully when Professor Merrythought helped her shakily stand up. "Ok to walk?" she asked, her expression sympathetic as she looked between Poppy and the other girls.

"Yeah, I think," Poppy started with a tiny nod, but moving her head caused her vision to dip again as if she was still spinning. "I think I'm going to-" her warning was interrupted by her stomach lurching nauseously, and she doubled over with arms wrapped around her middle as she was sick onto the grass.

"There there, you're alright, I've got you," she heard Professor Merrythought say soothingly, rubbing her back with her wrist as she used her wand to produce a handkerchief. "Give your face a wipe then we'll get you all to my classroom where you can lie back down."

Once Poppy felt steady enough to walk, they set off slowly for the fourth floor DADA classroom. They arrived to see the desks swept to one side and the floor covered in cushions and blankets, with most of the girls in their year already sat down and talking in soft murmurs. The rest of the day was spent simply sitting quietly (or sleeping in the case of Wilhelmina, Millicent and a few others), before going down to the Great Hall when evening fell for the Sorting Ceremony.

School robes had been abandoned as several people were still feeling queasy from taking the Portkeys, so it looked as if was simply another evening meal rather than the Start of Term Feast. The golden plates and cutlery were already set up ready for when the food appeared, but the last thing on Poppy's mind at that moment was food. The first years were looking even more nervous than usual, and several including Malcolm and Pomona Grubbly were still distinctly pale when Professor Dumbledore led them into the Hall. In his hands were the rickety three-legged stool and the Sorting Hat, which he placed down in front of Professor Dippet's lectern. Once the Sorting Hat had finished its song, to the applause of everyone in the Hall, Profesor Dumbledore began calling forward the first years to be Sorted.

The first name Poppy recognized was Imogen Farley; the blond-haired girl that Malcolm and Emery had taken the Portkey to Hogwarts with. She didn't look nearly as fazed as most of her classmates as she sat down on the stool and Professor Dumbledore dropped the Hat over her eyes. There was a couple of minute's silence, longer than anyone had waited so far, before the Hat shouted out "Slytherin!" Imogen grinned at Malcolm and Emery as she headed towards the Slytherin table, and Poppy couldn't help but feel surprised. She'd learned from Irma that not all Slytherins were like the Blacks or Abraxas or Druella, but there were still very few that were overly friendly with people from other Houses.

"We'll have to ask Irma to take that one under her wing; if Emery likes her she can't be that bad." Ro whispered under her breath. Pomona Grubbly was called forward next, and like the only other Hufflepuff so far, Dedalus Diggle, there were mere seconds before the Hat announced its choice. Rosmerta joined her on the Hufflepuff table not long after, both of them grinning excitedly at Wilhelmina.

Emery was the next person called, and Poppy quietly asked Ro "Do you think he'll be in Gryffindor too?"

Ro nodded without hesitation. "All my siblings have been in Gryffindor, even though every one of Mum's family has been in Hufflepuff. Same with Aunt Mabel- she used to be a Macmillan before she married Uncle Georg- so he's bound to be with us." The name was familiar to her, and Poppy wondered for a moment whether Sylvia Macmillan in their year could be a relation of Emery and his sisters. She clapped happily when Emery joined the Gryffindor Table, those signature yellow eyes alight with renewed joy.

Unfamiliar names passed by for a while, a couple sharing names of people from their year and usually joining the House of their older siblings. "Malcolm McGonagall!" jolted Poppy's memory back two years ago to Minerva's five and a half minute long Sorting, but it didn't take nearly as long for the Hat to proclaim Malcolm a Gryffindor has it had taken for his sister.

"Being honest I thought he would be in Ravenclaw," Minerva commented, "though Mother's family have always been Gryffindor so I suppose it's not too surprising. I take it your father and siblings were in Gryffindor too?" Minerva asked Ro, but she shrugged with an uncertain expression.

"They were never sorted properly," she said, to Poppy's surprise. "They still lived in Germany when they were children, Oma and Opa only moved to England when dad turned of age. He did his NEWT years here, Aunt Alyson started in fourth year and Uncle Georg in second."

"Why did they decide to move?" Poppy asked, but Ro's answer was drowned out by applause for Winston Spencer-Moon being announced a Gryffindor. The last Gryffindor to join the Table was Atticus Weasley, who concluded the Sorting Ceremony. As Professor Dumbledore returned to his seat between Professor Merrythought and Professor Dippet, he stood up to make his usual speech.

Unlike previous years, Professor Dippet had a lot more to say than just 'tuck in' or words to that effect. "As I'm sure you've all gathered solely from the destruction of the Hogwarts Express, this year will be quiet different to anything we've ever experienced before. This country is facing two wars; not only is the Muggle war still raging over our heads, but you may not be aware that the Wizarding World is still facing a significant threat from Grindlewald."

"Grindle-who-now?" Poppy hissed, but Ro didn't seem to hear her. She'd gone absolutely rigid, staring at the top table with a haunted expression that Poppy hadn't seen since the days of the petrification crisis. It wasn't just her; there were sharp breaths from all over the Hall and Professor Dumbledore suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Gellert Grindlewald is a Dark Wizard, who has been making anti-Muggle attacks all over Europe in a bid to enforce wizard supremacy since the early 1910s. Ministers for Magic of many European Countries have appealed to us in recent weeks, and our own Ministry is currently building up a force of Hit Wizards to aid in the defensive campaign. There have been British Aurors stationed in Europe for the past decade, but this is the first time where wizards will be conscripted to fight. He has not yet dared to attack Britain, but he has grown to a strength where we could expect an invasion at any given moment.

The Hall had fallen into a shocked silence at his words, fear on the faces of students and staff alike. Ro was shaking slightly, gripping the table edge so hard her knuckles were turning white.

"To ensure we ourselves are protected, we will be following several regulations recommended to us by the Minister of Magic. There has been a small group of Aurors placed in Hogsmeade village, as we believe that should Grindlewald decide to focus on our country then this school will be largely targeted. As Apparation is impossible within the grounds, they will be alert for anyone attempting to fly into the castle on broomsticks. Due to this, Quidditch practice and Flying Lessons will take place only on the Quidditch pitch and anyone flying beyond the audience stands will be at risk from attack by the Auror Guard. Hogsmeade visits will also be restricted to all those who are not yet of age. I am aware these regulations will be greatly inconvenient, but they are necessary to keep us all safe."

When Professor Dippet sat back down, food appeared on plates covering all the tables. But the atmosphere was nowhere near the usual excitement and cheer. "So much for getting away from the war." Ro commented bitterly, spearing a potato so hard that she stabbed her fork right into her plate.

With a churn of her stomach that had nothing to do with Portkey sickness, Poppy couldn't help but agree with her.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _A long chapter, but with how action-packed third year will be I didn't want to split it into two. I'm sure you've all realised what I meant by third year starting with a bang. I'm not sure if it would be canonically possible, but as I touched on in chapter 1 I think it's unlikely the wizarding world would escape the Muggle bombings entirely unscathed. As for the Grindlewald stuff, I've based their reactions both on the response to WW2 and some of the precautions taken in the books in the Second Wizarding War. They'll play a large part in the next chapters._

 _The reason behind my decision in making Ro's family German is because Rolanda is a traditionally German name. I noted this down right at the start when I was finding names for Ro's siblings, so they've all got German names along with Ro's dad (Luther), her Aunt Alyson and Uncle Georg, and all of Georg's children. Ro's reaction to Grindlewald will be explained later, don't you worry._

 _Many new characters here! Winston Spencer-Moon is another invented child of Minister for Magic Leonard Spencer-Moon, Larry's younger brother. We also have our first Weasley- I figured that with how many of them there are (I read somewhere that Arthur has several siblings as did his father!) are there would just be a constant stream of them throughout history. To anyone who hasn't guessed it, Wilhelmina's younger sisters are Pomona Sprout and Madame Rosmerta. I know in canon there is only a two year overlap in Minerva and Pomona's school years, but I wanted to change it. They'll be reasonably important characters due to their friendship with Malcolm and Emery (and Wilhelmina will get more of a mention as a result). There's also Imogen Farley, the surname taken from Gemma Farley who is the Slytherin prefect from the old Pottermore site. Again, she'll be quite an important character for the above reasons._

 _Things will really start to heat up next week, as I'm sure you've already guessed!_


	22. On the Home Front

_September 1944_

* * *

Even by the end of the next day, it was painfully clear to Ro that this year would be unlike either of their previous years at Hogwarts. On the way down to the Great Hall for breakfast and the giving out of timetables, Professor Dumbledore summoned Minerva to his office without so much of an explanation. Irma was missing too when they arrived in the Great Hall, but when they both appeared minutes apart near the end of breakfast they seemed to be fairly happy.

Although she was curious about where they had both got to, those thoughts were dismissed immediately when the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw third-years arrived in their first lesson: Defence Against the Dark Arts. The atmosphere in Professor Merrythought's classroom was quite unlike the relaxed mood they were used to. Instead everyone seemed unusually quiet and solemn, which Ro immediately put down to the sombre expression on Professor Merrythought's face as she watched them file in and sit down.

"Well then third years, I'm sure I don't need to point out that we're all in for an interesting year." She said as a welcome, her arms crossed over her chest as she surveyed the class. "As Professor Dippet stated in his speech yesterday evening, danger could be just around the corner. You all know the precautions that the school is taking to minimise the chance of Hogwarts being invaded, but my job is to prepare you should the worst happen. We've worked on defensive spells before in between our other focuses and theory works, but until I have a letter in my hand signed by Mr Spencer-Moon stating that Grindlewald has been defeated, there will be no theory work in my classroom."

Excited murmurs started up following her last statement, but stopped immediately when Professor Merrythought hit her hand against her desk for quiet. "I can assure you that our current situation is no laughing matter!" she snapped, her uncharacteristically harsh tone startling Ro. She walked through the classroom, the click of her heeled shoes the only sound that disturbed the silence, stopping near the back of the room in front of the Ravenclaw girl who had started the talking. "Miss Dale, have you ever been in a duel?"

Bonnie Dale nodded hurriedly. "Harvey taught me a few spells in the Common Room last year, let me practise against-"

Professor Merrythought cut across her with a dismissive shake of her head. "I'm not talking about scuffles between siblings, Miss Dale. I'm talking about being faced with an opponent who really, truly wants to do you harm. When you're faced with not a friend, or a mentor, but an enemy." She paused for a moment before walking back towards the front of the classroom, though stopped when she was level with Ro, Minerva and Poppy's desks. "I think the only person in this room aside from myself who has been in such a situation is Miss Pomfrey, during the pantomime nearly two years ago."

Ro saw Poppy redden beside her, giving Professor Merrythought a shy smile.

"But Professor," a voice called from the back of the classroom, "Poppy was great against Druella, but would spells like that really protect us from Dark Wizards?"

"You would be surprised, Mr Sanders, how even the most simple of spells can mean the difference between winning and losing a duel. Take Petrificus Totalus for example; it may be a second-year level spell but that doesn't mean it is child's play. It would have exactly the same effect if you cast it on Gellert Grindlewald himself than if you cast it on each other. The only difference is that chances are he would block your spell with ease, but unless you've done any further reading you won't know how to cast any shielding spells." She paused, looking around at the class before asking "I don't suppose any of you have done any further reading over the summer?"

As Ro suspected she might, Minerva raised her hand. When Professor Merrythought nodded for her to continue, she said "Protego is the most basic shielding charm. It creates a magical barrier in front of the caster, protecting them from spells or flying objects."

"Fantastic Miss McGonagall, take 10 points for Gryffindor." With a swish of Professor Merrythought's wand, all the desks flew away to the furthest side of the classroom where they stacked nearly against the walls. "Everyone out of your chairs, wands out, and we'll begin by learning the Protego charm."

Ro was glad that Professor Merrythought gave them time to stand up before moving the chairs away. The wand movement she showed them was simple enough, but it was a long time before anyone could produce the translucent, shield that Professor Merrythought had hovering in front of her, only detectable due to the way that whatever behind it moved as if it were underwater. Minerva was the first, a burst of blueish white erupting from the tip of her wand which she was given another 10 points for. Gradually over the next few minutes, more and more people were able to produce the very beginnings of a shield. Entirely engrossed in trying to do the charm herself, Ro was taken by surprise when she felt something push into her back and knock her onto the floor.

"Ro are you ok! I'm so sorry!" It was Poppy's voice; Ro looked up to see Poppy's worried face peering down at her.

Getting to her feet and dusting down her robes, Ro nodded. "I'm fine, but what in Merlin's name did you do?"

"It's a pity you were on the floor, Miss Hooch, you just missed Miss Pomfrey produce a wonderful shield charm!" Professor Merrythought said with a proud smile. "20 points for Gryffindor, Miss Pomfrey, that truly was excellent. Keep trying, the rest of you, then we'll pair up to put it into action."

Sure enough, the next time Poppy cast the charm (once Ro was safely out of the way), a shimmery barrier could be see expanding out of the tip of her wand. As if Poppy's success had spurred them on, more and more people were able to create the shield which resulted in a few more surprise falls from people standing too close. After another 10 minutes of practising, Professor Merrythought called them to attention and paired them all up to put the charm into practise.

"Right then, what we're going to practise from now until the end of the lesson is trying to use your shield charms to defend against simple spells. Pick something that will be easy to defend against- Rictumsepmra or Tarantallegra should work well for this. Miss Pomfrey, would you care to come and do a demonstration? If I recall correctly you performed a marvellous tickling charm against Miss Rosier during the pantomime." As Poppy made her way to the front of the classroom, Professor Merrythought added "Now I do hope I can cast this right, or it may turn out to be rather embarrassing!"

Ro laughed along with the rest of the class reassured that the Professor seemed to have regained her signature sense of humour. She and Poppy faced each other with wands drawn, and when Professor Merrythought nodded, Poppy swished her wand around and shouted "Rictumsempra!"

"Protego!" Professor Merrythought said commandingly, and the silver light that had burst from Poppy's wand dispersed in a flash as it hit the magical barrier. "Now the other way round- are you ready Miss Pomfrey?"

Poppy nodded, and as Professor Merrythought cast the tickling charm Poppy raised her wand to conjure the shield. Ro could see it emerging from her wand, shimmering in the air between her and Professor Merrythought, but her smile fell when the silver light travelled straight through it. Poppy doubled over laughing for a few moments before Professor Merrythought used the counter-charm and motioned for her to return to her space.

"As easy as it can be to cast the shield charm, it is hard to cast one with any particular strength," She explained, "which is why, now you have proved yourselves able to cast a shielding charm effectively, that we must now work on pitting it against offensive spells. You have the rest of this lesson and your homework time to practise with your partner, and next lesson we'll see how much you've improved."

The rest of the lesson was filled with a mix of shouted incantations and laughter when the shield charms wavered, leaving the victims either rolling on the floor laughing or practically dancing their feet off. Professor Merrythought walked around the room offering advice and counter-charms where they were due, before they were off to their next lesson. For Ro, Minerva and Millicent this was Muggle Studies- or at least Ro thought it was, so was very confused when Minerva vanished the moment they left the Muggle Studies classroom and was next seen walking from the direction of the North Tower with Poppy and Septima. Despite her confusion she didn't mention it to Minerva, until a week later it had happened at least once every day.

"Call me insane," Ro began slowly, wanting to pick the right words, "but you seem to have been in two places at once since term began."

Minerva looked up sharply, startling her. "I am calling you insane, that's impossible!" she said, laughing quickly. "Come on, we're going to be late for Quidditch practise!"

Even Quidditch practises weren't the same as they had been the previous year. Although the Gryffindor Team hadn't changed, Mr Spinnet was hovering above the stands on his own broomstick looking in the direction of Hogsmeade. Ro suspected he was watching to ensure that the Auror Guard in Hogsmeade didn't mistake any of the Quidditch players for Grindlewald's Army, and was proved right when Fleamont addressed the team.

"Right team, never mind all this miserable business about wars," he said firmly once he'd explained why Mr Spinnet was there, "we've got a Quidditch Cup to win. I know we got a handle of it last year, but since this is the last year before Alastor and I are off into the world I'd quite like to get my hands on the entire cup without sharing. We proved that we're capable of winning the cup, this year we just need to put it into practise."

What with all of her Uncle Raymond's advice she and Minerva had got over the summer, it didn't take long for them to get back into the swing of things. She was surprised how different it was playing with her family than playing with her team; since they'd rotated around the positions during their games at Abbott Hall Farm, she'd forgotten how individual each of her teammates' playing styles were. Erika and Johnnie were so in sync with each other, having known each other since they were 11 and worked together for the past three years, that as Beaters together they automatically seemed to know what the other was about to do. In comparison, Nancy and Ernest weren't quite so in tune with each other tending to work as separate units rather than together as a pair. The Keeping was the most different though, as it had been Poppy who had substituted as Keeper most of the times they played in the summer. Whereas Poppy's lithe frame and quick reflexes meant she could reach for the Quaffle and just about push it away from the scoring hoop while gripping onto her broomstick handle with the other hand, Alastor's style was more along the lines of 'just get in the way and let the Quaffle fly into you'.

"I always thought of Hogwarts as a place to escape whatever was going on in the rest of the world." Septima said at the Gryffindor table for dinner that evening. "But it seems like we're more involved in these wars than we ever were at home."

Ro nodded, glad she wasn't the only one having those kind of thoughts. "I don't think I've had a single lesson that hasn't involved either one war or the other. All we've talked about in Muggle Studies is how bombs and rockets work."

"The first thing Professor Olwen talked to us about in Divination is looking for omens of impending doom." Poppy agreed. "And Arithmancy, now that I come to think of it."

"Well I'm not convinced that whatever shapes appear in our teacups will decide who wins the wars," Minerva said a little huffily, "But I know what you mean. We were almost completely safe from the bombings up in Caithness, this has got to be the most I've heard of it since the war broke out."

"And I haven't actually got a clue what this war with Grindlewald's even about!" Millicent said exasperatedly. "Ro, Septima, Irma, you're from wizarding families, got any ideas?"

Ro's stomach flipped at the question- exactly the one she'd been hoping to avoid for as long as possible. She looked to Septima and Irma first, and was very relieved when Irma started to speak. "From what I've heard people saying in the Common Room, Grindlewald wants to rule over Muggles."

"Kind of like pureblood supremacy then?" Poppy asked.

"Magical blood supremacy." Irma corrected her. "I don't think these wizards mind about blood purity, as long as you can do magic. So as far as I can see, if we were to be invaded like Professor Dippet says we might be, there wouldn't be anyone who was targeted especially."

Poppy and Millicent both sighed in unison. "Thank goodness for that, I don't think I could cope with another year of constantly checking over my shoulder." Millicent said in a relieved tone.

"Ro?" Minerva's concerned voice startled Ro slightly, and she looked over to see green eyes watching her worriedly. "Are you alright? You've gone very pale again."

Ro dropped her gaze so she was staring at her empty plate, hands clenched into fists as she took a deep breath. "Do you remember Professor Dippet saying there had been British Aurors fighting Grindlewald for nearly 10 years?" There were nods all around, so she continued in a shaky voice. "My father was part of the very first group of Aurors that went into Europe to face Grindlewald, back when no-one realised how powerful he was growing. Only two of the 15 Aurors that went made it back alive- Grindlewald personally killed all the others. My dad died because of him." Her throat constricted as she finished speaking; as she swallowed deeply she felt a comforting hand on her knee and looked up to see Irma smiling sympathetically down at her.

"Oh Ro, I had no idea." Minerva said softly.

Ro shook her head. "It's fine, really," she said, breathing slowly to keep herself controlled. She could tell just by her friends' faces that they knew it wasn't alright, but was thankful that they didn't press the matter.

"You know what I've noticed this year?" Ro flashed Septima a grateful smile as she changed the subject. "The House rivalries. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they seem much less noticeable this year."

Ro looked out over the tables, and was surprised to see that Septima was right. Although it wasn't unusual for people to sit at House tables other than their own, the mix of Houses across the tables was much more noticeable than usual. Even several Slytherins could be seen sitting with friends in different Houses.

A tap on her shoulder made Ro turn around to see that Emery had slid over to sit next to her, with Malcolm, the Grubbly twins and Imogen Farley just behind him. Before she could say anything in greeting, he had started speaking in a rushed tone that made Ro suspect he'd been waiting to talk to her for a while. "Atticus says that we shouldn't be friends with Slytherins because they only like purebloods, is he right?"

Surprised at his question, it took Ro a few moments to recollect her thoughts enough to think of an answer. "Were you listening in on our conversation?" she asked with a grin, but continued before he could respond. "Did Atticus say why he thought that?"

Emery shook his head, but Septima came to his aid. "There's always been hostility between the Weasleys and other pureblood families. The Weasleys are considered to be blood traitors because they don't believe in all the pureblood supremacy nonsense that most pureblood families live by."

"I remember a Weasley in Kurtis' Hogwarts year got married to a Black daughter." Ro said, her memory jogged by what Septima had said.

Irma nodded. "She was disowned for making a non-respectable marriage, much like our mother."

"My family aren't pureblood supremacists." Imogen said in an irritated tone. "My uncle married a Muggleborn witch, and none of my family minded. I'm not a Black, so Atticus needs to get over himself."

"What do you think?" Ro asked. She had asked herself this question many when she was his age and first getting to know Irma; she'd made her decision, and was curious to know his."

Emery looked behind him, where Imogen met his gaze with a small smile. "Imogen's my friend, so I don't think it matters. Do you?" Emery repeated his question, looking at Ro with wide, pleading eyes.

Ro couldn't help but roll her eyes as she put an arm around Irma's shoulder. "Emery Hooch, this here is one of my best friends. Her tie is exactly the same green and silver as Imogens tie, and they sleep in the same part of the school. Do you really think I'm going to mind if one of your friends is a Slytherin?"

Emery fell quiet for a moment, before a sheepish smile appeared on his face. "I suppose not," he admitted, and they all burst into laughter.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Very sorry about the extra waiting I made you all do, I managed to catch flu last week and I've only just managed to shake it off. I was tempted to push on and get the chapter done, but I thought it would be better to wait longer for a better chapter than get a rushed mess of spelling errors on time!_

 _I know that in the series students didn't get taught proper defensive spells until fourth year or above, but there are several reasons why the girls will be learning a lot of them this year. For one thing, we're in a war so it makes sense that they would want everyone able to defend themselves if necessary, and secondly, Professor Merrythought is such a fantastic teacher I figured she'd want to teach her students to the best of her capabilities. We all know that there hasn't been a DADA teacher after the 50s that lasted longer than a year, so I'm guessing the standard of teaching must have fallen during that time._

 _And it's finally revealed what happened to Ro's father. She was only five years old at the time so wasn't affected by it quite as much as her older siblings, though she still finds it hard to really talk about. Since we don't know much from canon about the war against Grindlewald, I've taken it upon myself to invent the details so not much of it is canon._

 _Emery and his friends are good fun. I'm a very strong believer in 'not all Slytherins are Blacks', as you've probably guessed with two anti supremist Slytherin characters! They'll remain fairly important characters throughout the rest of the story now._

 _I should imagine that you've all guessed what secret Irma and Minerva have got hidden up their sleeves (or around their necks)! If not, all will be revealed next chapter (which will be out around this time next week due to being away from home this weekend)._


	23. Cheaters Never Prosper

_October 1944_

* * *

While the threat of the wars brought with it a certain responsibility for everyone, Minerva had her own additional responsibility in the form of the golden pendant around her neck. Since being handed the Time-Turner by Professor Dumbledore on their first day of lessons, she'd grown used to slipping it over her head in a split second, moving back an hour as he'd instructed her, before tucking it safely into the inside pocket of her robe. Despite Poppy's warning to her when she'd first opted to take on all five extra subjects, she wasn't finding all the homework to be too much of a problem. Yes, she'd had to sacrifice a lunchtime or two to finish off a particularly long essay, but she was keeping on top of it nicely.

The real issue she had with the Time-Turner was not being allowed to tell her friends. There had never been any secrets between them before, the openness a stark and welcome contrast with the air of privacy there always was at her home. It hurt to have to brush off Ro's confusion, Poppy's concern or Septima and Millicent's questions, but Dumbledore's insistence meant she had no other choice.

The one person who hadn't queried her was Irma. Minerva remembered from their conversation in Flourish and Blotts that Irma was now taking all five extra subjects too, and thought it quite likely that Professor Slughorn had given her a Time-Turner on that same morning when they had both been late to breakfast. She had on a couple of occasions seen Irma rushing out from the hidden spots Minerva usually used for travelling through time, though with the constant rush they were in between lessons, neither girl had asked the other what they were doing there.

It was late October by the time Minerva was convinced that Irma was using a Time-Turner. Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs had just finished, and she was hurrying down the Grand Staircase to the alcove beneath it she always hid in to travel back for her Ancient Runes class. Irma was in that class too, but as the Charms classroom where Irma was beforehand was only on the first floor she always made it to the bottom of the stairs first. Except for today; Minerva was so occupied trying to stuff her Transfiguration textbook into her satchel that she ran into the alcove without looking and collided head-on with Irma. Minerva could see the gold chain around Irma's neck despite her hastily trying to shove it under her robes, an anxious expression on her face, but Minerva held her hand out to stop her.

"You don't have to keep it a secret from me," she said firmly to Irma, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her own Time-Turner.

Irma's eyes widened as she watched the tiny hourglass swinging from Minerva's fingers, but seconds later her face had softened into a smile. "I ought to have guessed."

Minerva returned Irma's smile, before they both started laughing. Relief shone in Irma's face, though whether it was from finally breaking their bounds of secrecy or having someone to share the weight with Minerva wasn't sure."I'm glad I'm not the only one anymore," she commented.

"Did Professor Dumbledore tell you it had to be kept a secret?" Irma asked, and when Minerva nodded in agreement she added "The others- should they be told?"

Minerva hesitated, her mind conflicted in what would be the best thing to do. "I'm not sure," she started slowly, "they'll guess eventually, I know they will. But it feels wrong to go against what the Professors have said."

"I agree." Irma said, and Minerva suddenly felt a lot less tense. "They'll work it out in due course, and in the meantime we ought to get back for Ancient Runes!"

From then on, most of their Time-Turning tended to be do together. They weren't together for all of their elective classes as there were some classes at different times due to large numbers of attendees, but nearly every day they met either under the Grand Staircase or behind one of the statues. The process was a lot easier with a friend, as with two minds to remember everything there were far fewer times when a textbook was left in the Common Room and they were forced to return to the future to fetch it. Not only was this a great help, but simply knowing that they were going through the same thing together lifted a weight from Minerva's shoulders that she hadn't even known was there.

The few times each week when Minerva wasn't rushed off her feet was Quidditch practice. Despite the threat of aerial attack hanging over their heads, the interhouse Quidditch tournament was still going ahead as usual. Their first match against Slytherin was drawing ever closer, and with it the tensions between the two houses was rising. The dynamic between the first years was ever changing; with older relations on the Quidditch team, the amount of House pride that Malcolm, Emery and Winston all had was huge. Imogen Farley could still frequently be seen with them, Atticus and the Grubbly twins, but Minerva had noticed her spending more time with her fellow Slytherins than she had done before. The thing she pondered most over though was the Slytherins in their own year; she'd seen Owle Bullock and Abraxas Malfoy in the library more that term than in the whole of first and second years combined, huddled together over a book and hastily shoving it beneath their robes whenever someone approached them.

"I've noticed it in the Common Room too." Irma said when she and Minerva came across them while working in the library. "Those two and the rest of the Quidditch team. I've got a hunch they're planning something- if I were you I'd tell your team to watch out."

Minerva did mention it to Fleamont the next time she saw him, and he agreed to keep an eye out. Since the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Edward Nott, was in seventh year like Fleamont, she figured that he'd be in a better position to find out what they were up to. But when the day of the match rolled around, they were still just as clueless.

"To be honest, team, we don't really know what we're up against." Fleamont started as the Gryffindor team gathered in the changing room. "There's no point in denying that the Slytherin match last year was an absolute disaster, and if our information source is correct-"

"An information source from none other than a snake herself." Alastor growled, and Minerva couldn't help but bristle. "What makes you so sure she isn't telling you this just to put us on edge?"

The table rattled as Ro slammed her fist onto it, giving Alastor a fierce glare through narrowed yellow eyes. "I would trust Irma with my life," she hissed.

"But who's to say she wouldn't go behind your back to get some extra House points?" Alastor retorted. "Constant vigilance, that's what those snakes need, constant vigilance!"

"Yes, constant vigilance, which is what we'll need to be during today's game." Fleamont cut in hastily, leaning between Alastor and Ro to give each of them in turn a warning look. There was a tense silence for a few moments, before Ro nodded and stood back. "Now," Fleamont continued, "as I was saying, we can't let this game go the same way as last year's game went. But that was the first time we'd played before as a team- since then we've come on in great strides. And don't forget- Marilyn's team beat them the year before last. They're not invincible. Keep that in mind, lions, and let's go!"

At Fleamont's command, the team fell into their usual ranks and walked out onto the pitch to meet the Slytherin players. The two Captains shook hands, never breaking eye contact as they did so, before the teams mounted brooms and lifted into the air. As she rose above the pitch, Minerva could just about make out Poppy, Septima, Millicent and Irma watching from the stands. Poppy was holding onto Ro's omnioculars, Godric the puffskein with his tiny Gryffindor scarf sitting on her shoulder, and Minerva returned Millicent's wave before Spinnet's whistle jolted her focus back to the game.

Larry seized the Quaffle literally from under Lestrange's nose, and Minerva couldn't help but smirk at the irritated looking Slytherin Chaser as she and Fleamont darted past him on Larry's tail. They were within scoring distance when Lament intercepted and took the Quaffle, but despite the fact that they made it to the other end of the pitch they were prevented from scoring by Alastor blocking their shot. Minerva caught the Quaffle from Alastor and narrowly avoided a Bludger as she turned, throwing clumsily to Fleamont as she regained her balance. They made it down the pitch uninterrupted and Larry made the scoring throw, Minerva grinning as Keeper Abraxas Malfoy missed and the first goal was scored.

The second goal went to Slytherin, but only because an incoming Bludger meant Alastor was forced to shield his face rather than catch the Quaffle. It was clear that Beaters Nott and Alexia Yaxley were planning on using the same tactics as they'd used to win in the previous year, as they were both targeting Alastor fiercely whenever the Quaffle neared the Gryffindor end of the pitch. But this time the Gryffindors came prepared; it wasn't more than 15 minutes into the game when Gryffindor's Ernest Lawrence hit a Bludger into Nott's arm as he raised his bat to smash the other in Fleamont's direction. Nott shouted so much that Mr Spinnet was forced to call a timeout, Madame Quinine and Professor Slughorn coming out onto the pitch to see to the Slytherin Captain.

"What a baby." Nancy Campbell said contemptuously as Nott was lead away from the pitch, his injured arm cradled to his chest. "Well, their loss is our gain."

"They certainly aren't happy." Fleamont remarked with a poorly concealed smile. "They're without a Captain now, that'll certainly put a spanner in the works of whatever they were scheming. Don't drop your game now though, I imagine Black will still keep us busy."

"Ah, we can handle him." Ro grinned, lifting her goggles onto her forehead. "What's the score, I can't keep track very well while chasing the Snitch."

"20 all, though we should get the upper hand now that they're one Beater down." Alastor said, wiping his brow.

They all looked over as Mr Spinnet approached them, paying no attention to the filthy glances that the Slytherin team were giving them. "Are you ready to continue play?" Spinnet asked Fleamont.

Fleamont glanced around his team before nodding. "Yes, we are." As they all remounted their brooms, Minerva saw Fleamont grab Ro's elbow and say quickly "Get the snitch quickly, I don't like our chances if your friend is correct."

With that they were off, Slytherin taking possession but Alastor saving the goal thanks to the absence of Beaters aiming for him. Gryffindor took another three goals, Minerva relishing every time she got close enough to see Malfoy's increasingly furious expression. Larry took a Bludger to the foot which nearly knocked him off his broomstick as he neared the goalpost again, and as Minerva and Fleamont steadied him they lost the Quaffle and let Slytherin take the next goal. Without Nott at his side, Black lost his confidence in constantly attacking Alastor so Gryffindor were slowly able to get into the lead.

When the points reached 120-90, Minerva took a moment to look around for Ro. She was zooming through the air in close pursuit of a Slytherin player, but as they neared Minerva she was surprised to see that it wasn't Seeker Bullock but Chaser Lestrange instead. Bullock was following on behind them both, looking to be more intent on staying with Lestrange than following the Snitch which was a foot or so in front of Lestrange. As Minerva watched, Lestrange snatched the snitch out of the air and threw it quickly back to Bullock, who lifted it into the air with a shout of "Slytherin has the Snitch!"

Not one person seemed to have seen Lestrange catch it first. The Slytherin side of the stands burst into applause, completely drowning out Ro's shouts of "FOUL! FOUL! DISQUALIFY THEM NOW!"

Spinnet's whistle sounded, and he called out "Slytherin wins the-"

"OH NO THEY DON'T" Ro bellowed, her face reddening with fury. "MR SPINNET, THAT WAS A SNITCHNIP! PLAIN AND OBVIOUS!"

Hisses and boos sounded from the Slytherins in the audience as Spinnet frowned, looking between Bullock, Lestrange and Ro.

"She's just lying because she didn't get her hands on the Snitch for the second year running!" Lestrange sneered, and Minerva shot him the dirtiest glare she could muster.

"I saw it too." Nancy shouted.

Minerva swooped upwards to hover beside Nancy, and Larry joined them seconds later. "So did we." Minerva said, Larry nodding in support.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat over the magical megaphone, and everyone looked over to see Professor Dippet standing beside Filius Flitwick in the commentator's area. "Is there anyone else who can prove Miss Hooch and the Gryffindor Team's statement?"

Silence fell for a few minutes, before someone called quietly "We can!"

All eyes turned to look to the source of the voice; it was Septima. She and Poppy were pushing their way through the stands to the nearest teacher, which happened to be Professor Aurelius. She spoke to them both for a minute, before casting Sonorus on her throat and announcing "Miss Pomfrey has the entire incident recorded on her omnioculars. We can rewatch it all and find out who is telling the truth."

Hope soared in Minerva's heart. The entire stadium was murmuring tensely as Professor Aurelius took Ro's omnioculars to Professor Dippet, Mr Spinnet flying over to join them. Professor Dippet looked through them first, nodding thoughtfully before passing them to Spinnet to look. He stepped up to the magical megaphone and announced in a stern voice "Miss Hooch is telling the truth."

Minerva shouted with joy as the stadium erupted into uproar. The Gryffindor team were cheering and embracing each other, whilst in comparison the Slytherin team's expressions suggested that Christmas had been cancelled. Even with the aid of the magical megaphone, it was a few minutes before Spinnet could make himself heard. "Due to this appalling foul, the Slytherin team has forfeited this match. No points will be received by them, and the Gryffindor team will get the 120 points scored by their Chasers as they have won this match."

The elation at their unexpected (yet in everyone's opinion deserved) victory lasted long after the Gryffindor team returned to the Tower. The rest of the House had somehow managed to throw a party in the 15 or so minutes it took them to get changed after the match; there were red and gold banners draped over the walls and the words 'LIONS FOR THE CUP' were shimmering in midair. Fleamont and Alastor disappeared along with Lester Longbottom almost immediately after the team arrived in the tower, reappearing an hour or so later armed to the teeth with Honeydukes sweets. Minerva thought that he must have used his invisibility cloak to sneak into the village, and her theory was confirmed when he caught her eye and gave her a knowing wink.

It wasn't until the next morning that Minerva's spirits were finally grounded, and it wasn't in a gentle way. She was walking back from the Owlery where she'd picked up her copy of The Prophet, intending to join her friends in the Great Hall for breakfast, when menacing voices from an empty classroom made her stop in her tracks. They were so quiet behind the closed door that she could scarcely make out what was being said let alone who it was, but the frightened sound that answered them could only belong to Poppy. Wasting no time at all, she whipped out her wand to unlock the door before kicking it open and marching in. The sight that met her eyes was hard to take in. Orion Black, Abraxas Malfoy and Owle Bullock were crowded into the far corner of the room, Poppy's blonde hair just about visible over Owle's head.

"Hey!" Minerva snapped, and the three Slytherin boys looked over at her menacingly. Poppy used the distraction to squeeze quickly between Owle and Abraxas, throwing herself into Minerva's arms while shaking uncontrollably. "What in Merlin's name are you playing at!"

"Oh, we were just teaching your little friend here what happens when Mudbloods like her try and mess with us." Orion smiled maliciously.

Abraxas nodded pompously. "I would have expected her to have learned her lesson after she was petrified, but it seems like some people need a little reminder every now and again." He lifted his wand as he spoke, but, blood boiling in her veins, Minerva was ready for him.

"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, and Abraxas' wand flew out of his hand to land with a clatter on the other side of the room.

"Everte Statum!" Orion growled, an orange light bursting from his wand. She recognised this spell as one Druella had used in the pantomime, but thanks to the weak Shield Charm Poppy managed to draw up in time she only winced and stumbled slightly. Another Expelliarmus from each had Orion and Owle's wands soaring out of their hands, leaving all three of the Slytherins unarmed.

Orion shrugged, the intimidating sneer still on his face as he took a few steps towards Minerva and Poppy. "Ah well. Skill can only take you so far, you know, a certain amount of it always comes down to brute strength."

He moved so fast that Minerva barely saw it. She only had time to shove Poppy out the way before Orion's fist met her jaw, knocking her backwards to land hard on the floor. Eyes closed against the agony, all she could hear was Poppy's panicked scream, the Slytherins' laughter and another voice asking "What in Merlin's name is going on here!" It was Professor Merrythought. Minerva was concentrating so hard on trying to block out the pain spreading across her jaw that she barely heard a word of what Professor Merrythought was shouting at the Slytherins.

After what felt like hours, the noise died down and she cracked open one eye. Professor Merrythought and Poppy were knelt down either side of her, silent tears flooding down Poppy's face as she clenched her hands together. "Alright Minerva, just stay still for a moment or two. You're going to be just fine." Professor Merrythought's soft voice calmed the beginnings of panic that were fluttering in Minerva's chest as she gently felt Minerva's jawline. Seeming satisfied, she eased her hand under Minerva's shoulder and slowly helped her to sit up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok." Minerva nodded, ignoring the throbbing in her cheek.

"I heard Poppy's shout from my office and came to see what was happening. I will be having strict words with Professor Slughorn about whether those three ought to be allowed back onto the Quidditch team, but unfortunately it isn't for me to decide in the end." An angry look glinted in Professor Merrythought's blue eyes as she spoke. "You've escaped lightly, Minerva, I've seen the likes of the Black family do a great deal worse. If you're sure you're feeling alright, then I'll leave Poppy to fetch you some bruise paste."

Assured that she was feeling fine, Professor Merrythought left them to go and find Professor Slughorn. Poppy grasped Minerva's arm and helped her to her feet, waiting to make sure she was steady before wrapping her arms around Minerva's torso in a near-painful squeeze. "Please don't ever do that again," she said in a high-pitched voice.

"I'm not promising you that." Minerva smiled, laughing as Poppy pretended to aim a slap at her. "Think of it this way- it's probably better if I'm the one coming to your aid instead of Ro, or we'd all be in the hospital wing right now with embedded glass injuries!"

Poppy looked at her with an unimpressed expression, before the smile playing at her lips got the better of her. "Even I can't argue with that."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _If you think I've squeezed an awful lot into this chapter, you would be absolutely right. But I didn't think any of the individual bits could fill a whole chapter alone, so this was my best option._

 _As I'm sure you've guessed by now, our Slytherins are nasty pieces of work. Orion Black is Sirius' father, so from everything Sirius has said about him I figured he had to be pretty horrible. As for Abraxas and Owle, the former is Draco Malfoy's grandfather and the latter wrote a book about Dark Magic. Need I add anything else? xD_

 _I figured it would make sense for Minerva and Irma to know they each have Time-Turners, as they're aware they're both taking every subject and would surely keep seeing each other while time turning. I spent a while trying to think of ways they could possibly keep it a secret from each other, before ditching the idea and deciding they just had to know. Ro, Poppy, Septima and Millicent all remain clueless though (for now...)_

 _Next chapter will either be next Friday or next Monday. If I remember correctly from my notes, this is one of the chapters that I've most been looking forward to writing since starting the fic! Thanks in advance for your patience :)_


	24. Bad Luck comes in Threes

_December 1944_

* * *

"Time goes by so much faster when you've got your mind full." Poppy remarked as she, Minerva and Septima walked into the Great Hall for dinner. Their last lesson had been Divination up in the North Tower, so she wasn't surprised to see that Ro and Millicent had already made their way down from the Muggle Studies classroom. Twelve Christmas Trees had already been brought in and were starting to be decorated by the teachers, and she could hear Hagrid dragging another one through the Entrance Hall.

"I'm glad it's not just me who thinks that!" Septima agreed with a grin as they sat down at the Gryffindor Table, "I can't believe the Quidditch matches were two weeks ago now, it feels like only yesterday."

Minerva laughed. "You wouldn't be saying the same if you'd had your roommate covering your face in bruise paste every day since the match!"

Poppy shot her a glare through narrowed eyes, though Ro's burst of laughter made her smile too. The area on Minerva's jaw where Orion had punched her had turned purple by the evening of the incident, though conspicuous amounts of bruise paste daily had brought it down fairly quickly. "Perhaps you shouldn't have got into a fight with the Slytherin Beater then!" Ro pointed out, "I'd have just hexed him into oblivion."

"Believe me, I tried." Minerva muttered drily.

"Ah come off it Ro." Septima said, ignoring the look Minerva gave her as she put an arm around Minerva's shoulders. "I don't think I'd have come away so well if I'd been attacked by my dear cousin."

"Even if we stay friends for 100 years I will never be able to think of you as a Black." Millicent shook her head, and Poppy had to agree with her. With her reddish-brown hair, warm chocolate eyes and permanent smile, Septima was exactly the opposite of the stereotypical Black.

"What about me?" A voice asked, and Poppy turned to see Irma sliding into the free seat next to her.

Ro tilted her head in thought as she looked at Irma. "You look more like a Black," she pointed out, and Irma shrugged indifferently. "It's the hair I think, long and black, and too similar to Walburga's. Even Min looks more like a Black than Septima does."

Poppy clapped a hand over her mouth in a half-gasp half-laugh, patting Irma's back as she choked on her pumpkin juice. Septima and Millicent weren't nearly as controlled; both of them fell about laughing while Ro looked very pleased with herself. Pretending to hit Septima's shoulder with her copy of _Unfogging the Future_ , Minerva shot Ro a murderous look and asked "Is this 'pick on Minerva day', Rolanda Hooch?"

Ro smirked, her attempt at looking innocent failing drastically. "Could be, what do you say Pops?"

Poppy chuckled quietly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in despair. "You're worse than first years, both of you."

Ro gasped dramatically, her hands flying to her chest in mock horror. "You wound me, Penelope. How could you say such a thing?"

Poppy pointed over to the Hufflepuff table where Malcolm and Emery were sitting with Winston Spencer-Moon, Atticus Weasley, Pomona and Rosmerta Grubbly, and Imogen Farley. They were chatting excitedly while watching Professor Aurelius dress the Christmas Trees with awe on their faces, too engrossed to see the third-years all looking at them. "I don't see either of your brothers calling their friends names or trying to hit each other with textbooks!"

"She has a point, you know." Millicent said with a sly smile, ducking out of the way when _The Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_ was almost hurled in her direction.

With everyone's minds occupied by the war precautions, time had flown so much faster. Christmas was upon them, and in comparison to last year the castle was unusually full. The renewed threat in the Muggle War from the rocket bombs meant that practically every Muggleborn student stayed at Hogwarts for the holidays. This meant that Slytherin was the only House with vastly depleted numbers, so after the Hogwarts Express left for Kings Cross Irma moved into Gryffindor Tower once again. She wasn't the only student to move dormitories for the holiday; Imogen boarded with Pomona and Rosmerta in the Hufflepuff basement much to the disappointment of Malcolm, Emery and Winston.

"Why can't they all come and stay in Gryffindor Tower?" Emery complained as the first year boys watched Ro and Irma dragging Irma's trunk through the portrait hole. "You get to have Irma stay, why do Pomona, Rosmerta and Imogen have to sleep in the basement?"

"Because they aren't friends with the girls in your year." Poppy pointed out, stifling a giggle as Ro was sent sprawling onto the floor. She almost got out of her chair to help her, but when Minerva beat her to it she settled back down. "I doubt they would be thrilled to have their dormitory invaded by two Hufflepuffs and a Slytherin!" As if to prove a point, Doris Campbell and Amelia Orville glowered at Emery and started talking together in hushed voices.

"Well then why can't they come into the boys' dormitory?" Winston asked with a scowl.

Larry appeared behind Winston, ruffling his hair. With their father's time completely taken up by the threat posed by Grindlewald, both the Spencer-Moons had decided to stay over the holiday too. "It's the boy's dormitory, girls aren't allowed in," Larry laughed.

"And for good reason too!" Ro shouted from halfway up the stairs. "Sharing bedrooms with boys is like sharing with a Hippogriff!"

Poppy and Minerva looked at each other, and immediately started laughing. They had grown used to the never-ending mess that covered Ro's corner of the dormitory (and often threatened to invade Poppy and Minerva's space), having accepted quickly that asking her to tidy up was pointless. "Then I think your brothers have had a bad influence on you Ro!" Minerva grinned, "Having you in the dormitory is like having a small Hippogriff in the next bed."

"Rude." Ro muttered, her voice barely audible as she heaved Irma's trunk up the final step. "We should have just asked Professor Dumbledore to move this for us, I can't feel my shoulders. Oi Larry, give us a hand would you?"

Larry laughed, running up the stairs to help Ro and Irma with the trunk. However he only got halfway up before the stairs seemed to melt away into a smooth surface, sending Larry shooting straight back down to the bottom. Irma clung desperately to the handle of her trunk for a moment before she too lost her grip, managing to stay standing as she skidded down but tripped over Larry to land in an undignified heap.

Poppy was on her feet in an instant, crouching down beside Irma and shaking her shoulder gently. "Irma, are you alright?" she asked, her panic fading when Irma rolled onto her back and gave Poppy a smile.

"Fine, don't worry. What happened?" Poppy took Irma's hands and helped her to her feet as she brushed the dust from her black dress.

Larry had already stood and was rubbing his shoulder with a pained look on his face. When Poppy moved towards him he shook his head, laughing sheepishly as he said "It's only where your friend managed to trip over me, nothing to worry about. I'd forgotten that the stairs to the girls' dormitories are charmed to not let boys up!"

"I think Erika mentioned that to me once." Ro thought aloud, sitting down on Irma's trunk. "Johnnie tried to get to her dormitory when she was ill with flu in their fourth year, but couldn't climb the stairs." She peered down the staircase, which had returned to normal, then glanced in the direction of their dormitory before calling down "You alright to keep going Irma? Not long to go now."

Irma nodded and moved towards the stairs, but Minerva waved her away. "I'll do it, you sit down or Poppy will hex you," she insisted, joining Ro on the landing and taking the back end of the trunk. Poppy rolled her eyes, pointing to the armchair which Irma obediently sat down in.

"At least we don't have to bring Septima or Millicent's trunks down too." Ro said through gritted teeth as she and Minerva just about managed to pick up the trunk between them. "But theirs' would be easier I guess, just down one set of stairs and along the seventh floor corridor rather than up from the dungeons then seven sets of moving staircases!"

Since Bonnie Dale and Emily Stretton were both staying over the holiday, Septima and Millicent had been told to stay in their own dormitory in Ravenclaw Tower. The busy castle meant that the holiday was very different to how it had been in either their first or second years, and not just in terms of sleeping arrangements. The Great Hall was a constant hive of activity, with staff finishing decorations and students spending most of their time there with friends from other Houses even between. There wasn't enough snow on the ground to make braving the cold outside worth it, but the flaming torches lining the corridors and rooms made the castle itself wonderfully cosy.

When Christmas morning finally dawned, the Gryffindor Common Room seemed to be overflowing with people. Imogen, Pomona and Rosmerta were opening presents with Emery, Malcolm and Winston, and Septima and Millicent arrived through the portrait hole not long afterwards. Since Larry, Ernest Lawrence, Nancy Campbell and Maggie Jordan were taking up the largest sofa, the third year girls sat in a circle in front of the fire to open their presents.

Millicent went first, showing them the pretty home-made dress in Ravenclaw blue and bronze she was wearing that her mother had sent. Septima received a large and very detailed Astronomy map with beautiful moving images, and Irma a slate grey hair slide decorated with emeralds and an ornate ring. Minerva's present caused the most excitement; it was a wizarding chess set, and both Ro and Septima (who already had a set each) started playfully bickering over who was the better player and should get the honour of teaching Minerva. Once the others had managed to calm them down, it was Poppy's turn to look at her presents. They were only wrapped in tissue paper, which due to the war shortages as her mother explained in the equally flimsy Christmas card. There was a book, as per usual, plus a bag of mint humbugs, some liquorice allsorts and a mars bar.

"What in Merlin's name are they?" Ro asked, examining a humbug from the bag.

Poppy laughed, opening the liquorice and offering them around. "Muggle sweets," she explained, "we don't have chocolate frogs or pumpkin pasties in the Muggle world, so we have these instead."

"Mint humbugs taste like toothpaste." Millicent said, taking one from Ro and popping it into her mouth. "The allsorts are kind of like liquorice wands, and the mars bar is just chocolate with caramel inside."

At Poppy's encouragement, Ro put a humbug into her mouth and sat in silence for a while as she chewed it. "They're weird," she eventually concluded, "but kind of nice. Don't suppose you want to trade for these?" She held out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans which had been sent to her from Mallory- it seemed he had taken heed of Aunt Felicity's suggestion that history books weren't up Ro's street.

"Go on then, I'm sure mother and father would find these fascinating." Poppy shrugged, taking the box from Ro. "I'll just go up the Owlery and send them, it won't take long." Knowing it would be cold at the top of the West Tower, she pulled a thick jumper over her dress and slipped on her shoes before climbing out of the portrait hole.

Despite the lack of snow on the Hogwarts grounds, the temperature in the West Tower was far colder than she'd expected. As she approached the tightly spiralled stone staircase she couldn't stop her teeth from chattering, and failed to notice the ice covering some of the steps. She yelped in surprise when her foot shot out from under her, falling down the five or so stairs she'd climbed and sliding across the polished floor of the Fourth Floor Corridor. She managed to stop herself by clinging onto a conveniently placed column, but the box of Bertie Bott's Beans carried on sliding until it crashed into the statue of Gregory the Smarmy.

After gingerly testing each limb for injury, she slowly got to her feet and started picking up the beans that had spilled out all over the floor. So focused on trying to fish out the last few beans from behind the statue, she didn't notice anyone behind her until a hand grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look around. It was Orpheus Filch, the caretaker, and he looked absolutely livid.

"Trying to get into Hogsmeade, are we?" he asked viciously, "Don't try to fool me, I know where this passage leads. Thought you'd sneak into the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer and no-one would notice?"

Poppy shook her head quickly, eyes widening as she saw the whip in Filch's other hand. She'd heard from Fleamont and Lester how painful Filch's beating were from when they'd been caught out after curfew without Fleamont's invisibility cloak.

"Well this'll teach you not to get at it again!" Filch snarled, gripping her arm and raising the whip. Poppy hid her face behind her other sleeve, bracing herself against the agony she knew was coming.

When she eventually arrived back at Gryffindor Tower, it took mere seconds for her friends to work out that something wasn't right. She wasn't surprised; with her hair in a tangled mess from her fall and left arm hidden beneath her jumper she must have looked like a wreck. "Poppy, what's the matter?" Minerva asked, beckoning for Poppy to sit down next to her. Slowly, shakily, she took her arm out from underneath her jumper and closed her eyes briefly when Ro gasped.

"What happened?" Ro asked, her fist clenching in anger. "If it was the Slytherins again then I swear to Mer-"

"No it wasn't them." Poppy said hurriedly, noticing Irma's wince at the mention of her House. "I tripped and dropped the Beans behind a statue on the way to the Owlery. There must be a secret passage there, because Filch accused me of trying to get to Hogsmeade, a-and did... this."

There was silence for a few moments as they all looked uncertainly at each other. "I've got a handkerchief in the dormitory," Irma muttered as she stood and hurried up the staircase, returning with a handkerchief which Minerva wrapped tightly around Poppy's bleeding wrist. Ro also jumped to her feet and ran off across the Common Room, reappearing with Augusta and Fleamont by her side.

"Show me, Poppy." Augusta ordered, removing the handkerchief in order to inspect Poppy's wrist. She took her wand from her pocket, pointed it at the bloodied wounds and muttered "Ferula." Bandages spun around her arm and hand, wrapping it tightly and easing the stinging sensation slightly too.

"We need to borrow your invisibility cloak." Ro's demand jolted Poppy's attention from her bandaged wrist, and everyone stared surprised at her. "What- you want to let him get away with this?"

"Filch has been dealing out capital punishments since anyone can remember, and Professor Dippet doesn't have any problems with it." Augusta reminded her. "There isn't a great deal you can do about it."

"But we could make his Christmas miserable, make him see how it feels!" Ro insisted, looking imploringly at Fleamont.

Fleamont stayed quiet for a few moments, looking thoughtful. "What do you have in mind?" he asked heavily.

Ro grinned, and Poppy knew purely from instinct that she'd already thought of some outrageous plan. "The chandelier in the Entrance Hall. Kurtis and his friends almost brought it down but got caught by Filch. I want another go, and it'll be a lot easier if he can't see us."

"You know the cloak won't cover all of you?"

"It doesn't need to, just two of us on a broomstick."

Fleamont sighed, looking between Ro's hopeful look and Augusta's disapproving frown. "You have to bring it back as soon as that chandelier is on the floor. No playing with it, just get the job done and get back," he instructed them sternly, and when Ro nodded eagerly he and Augusta went up to his dormitory. Ro sprinted up to their own room to collect her Silver Arrow, and as soon as Fleamont passed Minerva the cloak they were off out the portrait hole.

"Ro do you really think this is a good idea?" Poppy asked as they walked quickly down the Grand Staircase. They had less than an hour before the Feast was due to start, so would need to move quickly to avoid being caught.

"Yes." Ro snapped, silencing any questions that anyone else might have had. The dangerous look in her eye that Poppy had seen on a few occasions was back, and judging only from that it was a miracle that Minerva's glasses hadn't smashed yet. When they arrived in the Entrance Hall and looked up at the enormous chandelier at least 20 feet above them, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was about to go wrong.

"Right then. Millicent and Poppy are keeping watch." Poppy nodded, deciding it was in their best interests not to argue with Ro at that moment. "Minerva and Irma, you watch from the ground and give instructions. Septima-"

"You're not getting me on that broomstick with you. I meant it last year when I said I refused to spend another Christmas bedbound." Septima warned, and Poppy couldn't help but smile at the memory of their past two Christmases.

Ro shook her head firmly. "I need someone to hold the broom steady while I unscrew the chandelier. We'll go a lot faster and be able to get out of here quicker if you're there."

Grumbling incoherently, Septima mounted the Silver Arrow behind Ro who nodded for Minerva to throw the cloak over them. Once they had disappeared from sight, it was only when the chandelier started squeaking that Poppy knew they'd reached their target.

"This bloody bolt's so tight!" Ro's complaint sounded after a while, "It won't budge!"

"Careful Ro or we're both going to fall!" Septima's voice hissed in response.

Poppy looked anxiously through the doorway, convinced that someone was going to come down the Grand Staircase at any moment. Millicent checked her watch- half an hour to go.

"Are you sure you're twisting it the right way?" Minerva called upwards. Silence fell for a moment or two, before the squeaking resumed and the chandelier started shaking. "Yes, you've got it now, keep going," she urged.

The shaking and squeaking gradually grew louder, until it was swaying so much that Poppy knew it would fall at any second. As she, Millicent, Minerva and Irma backed away to stand pressed against the wall, a shout of "No!" made Poppy's heart miss a beat. The chandelier was falling, and Fleamont's invisibility cloak must have been attached to it as Ro and Septima instantly became visible. The crash when the chandelier hit the floor was deafening, shards of glass flying everywhere, and it was only when Ro uttered a word that Poppy knew would send Aunt Felicity reeling that Poppy dared to open her eyes.

The sight that met her eyes filled her with such panic that she was frozen with fear. Standing in the doorway of the Entrance Hall, looking between what remained of the chandelier and Ro and Septima hovering just below the ceiling, was none other than Walburga Black. Adrenaline flooded through Poppy's veins, and it was without thinking that she drew her wand at Walburga and said frantically "Stupefy!"

Walburga was thrown onto the floor, knocked entirely unconscious. Ro and Septima landed beside her as Poppy, Minerva, Millicent and Septima rushed over, watching the Slytherin prefect as if she would jump up and curse them at any second. "What did you do that for?" Ro hissed, trepidation etched onto her face.

"I didn't know what else to do!" Poppy wailed in hushed tones.

"But what do we do now?" Millicent asked gravely, looking at her watch. "We've only got 10 minutes before people start coming down for the Feast!"

"We have to go." Irma said, the urgency in her tone startling Poppy. "I know what she's capable of; if she wakes up while we're here then we won't be getting out of the Hospital Wing in a hurry."

"Then we need an alibi." Minerva said calmly, placing a hand on Irma's shoulder. "A teacher would be best, someone who wouldn't question us turning up, who we'd have a reason to see..."

Ro grabbed Poppy's injured wrist, the sudden pain making her squeak involuntarily. "Sorry Pops," she said, patting Poppy's hand before turning to Septima and Millicent. "Professor Merrythought, is she in Ravenclaw tower?"

Septima and Millicent looked at each other for a moment before nodding. "She was when we left, and Peggy said she spends every Christmas morning in the tower," Septima said hurriedly, nudging Walburga with her foot to check she was still unconscious.

"Perfect." Ro nodded, unwrapping the bandages around Poppy's wrist as she continued. "We go up there, explain Poppy's injury, say you two thought she could fix it. Solid alibi, no questions asked."

A grin appeared on Millicent's face. "Absolute genius. Someone grab the cloak, and let's go."

Irma pulled the cloak from the pile of smashed glass, where it had been easily findable due to the area of wall visible through the rubble. With that they were off sprinting up the Grand Staircase, not daring to look back at the wreck of the chandelier and Stunned Prefect they'd left behind them.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Now this was fun. The original idea for the chandelier came from Minerva's comment to Peeve's in OotP that the chandelier, which was in fact one of the things that got me thinking about what the teachers would have got up to in their student years (and thus inspired the whole fic!). I just knew that she must have had first experience with the chandelier based on that comment, and so this idea was born. It might be a little far-fetched, but it was awesome to write so I don't regret anything. Another of my goals with this chapter was to write more of the casual friendliness between the characters, which I do worry about losing between the more important events. I think one of the most loved aspects of the HP series is how much is does focus on the characters just as friends, and that's something I want to make sure I put across here. They're fun scenes to write too, our main six have such a diverse collection of personalities that they're always very entertaining when all together._

 _The very very observant among you all may have noticed that I've made a very subtle change in previous chapters. Isobel Farley, Malcolm and Emery's Slytherin friend, has been renamed Imogen. The only reason for this is that there's already an Isobel in the story (Minerva's mother) and I wanted to avoid any confusion._

 _A few character references in this chapter of new other Gryffindors- I've got a constantly growing list of names of students in each House and year so they're not just plucked from random! Doris Campbell is the younger sister of Gryffindor Beater Nancy (who's currently in fifth year), and her fellow first-year Amelia Orville has an older brother who I don't think has been mentioned yet. Maggie Jordan is in the same year as Larry and Ernest (fourth), and is the great aunt of Lee Jordan. She's a pretty cool character and will start to come up more frequently from fourth year onwards._

 _I think we've got one more chapter before things really begin to pick up. It's going to get very action-packed so I'll warn you now- brace yourselves!_


	25. Closer to Home

_January 1945_

* * *

"What do we think then?" Septima asked between mouthfuls of dinner, "which of our Christmases has been the most... interesting?"

It certainly was a good question, Ro thought. "Depends whether you mean actual Christmas day, or just the holiday," she pointed out.

Poppy nodded, hastily swallowing before saying "In first year it was before Christmas, second year it was after Christmas and this year the most interesting day was Christmas itself."

"Most interesting- that's one way of putting it!" Minerva said exasperatedly, and everyone laughed.

Christmas day had indeed been very interesting. After fleeing the Entrance Hall, they had made it undisturbed all the way up to the seventh floor where they waited to catch their breath before climbing the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw Tower. As they'd all hoped, Professor Merrythought hadn't batted an eyelid when Septima let them in and believed their cover story immediately.

"I've always said to Professor Dippet that it shouldn't be allowed, but he just won't listen," she huffed as she healed the wounds on Poppy's wrist. "That'll probably end up scarring I'm afraid, neither Professor Slughorn or Madame Quinine are here and I'm not much of a potioneer anymore with this arm." She waved her wrist stump in the air and Ro couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks, Professor Merrythought." Poppy smiled brightly, but Ro could still sense how tense she was by the way she was clenching her shoulders.

"Not a problem, my dear. Now, we all should get down to the Great Hall for the Feast!" Professor Merrythought said, walking over to the door and holding it open for Harvey Dale to take.

Once she and all the other Ravenclaws had filed out and were out of earshot, Ro whispered "What do we do about Fleamont's cloak? We can't leave it here, and we can't be late for the Feast!"

"We'll have to take it with us," Irma said, looking down at the cloak tucked under her arm. "It doesn't show up unless you're wearing it, and we can give it to Fleamont then."

Although the plan wasn't ideal, they quickly agreed it was the best thing they could do. Thankfully they were quickly able to pass it onto Fleamont, who was sat down one end of the student's table with Augusta, Alastor and Lester. Only the staff and those from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Common Rooms had arrived, so they were able sit down beside Larry and his fellow fourth years without a problem. The Hufflepuffs arrived next, Wilhelmina leaving her dorm-mates to join her sisters with Emery, Winston, Malcolm and Imogen. It seemed that the chandelier incident had gone entirely unnoticed, but since the Slytherins hadn't yet arrived they still weren't able to fully relax.

As predicted, trouble arrived the moment that the Slytherins appeared from the dungeons. Headed by Walburga, Lucretia, Orion and Alphard Black, they made quite an entrance as they stormed through the Hall and straight up to the staff table, where Walburga shrieked "Professor Dippet, have you seen the state of the Entrance Hall?"

Professor Dippet looked a little startled as he replied "Yes Miss Black, it seems that Peeves has turned his attention from the suits of armour to the chandeliers. Not to worry though, Professor Dumbledore and I have put everything back into order so we can enjoy our Christmas Feast in peace." It seemed to Ro that Walburga had regained consciousness and run back to the dungeons before any teachers arrived on the scene, and she heard Poppy sigh quietly beside her.

"You think this was Peeves!" Walburga shouted; although the arrogance of the House of Black was well known, Ro was amazed that she had the nerve to talk back at none other than the Headmaster. The thought was pushed immediately out of her head, however, when Walburga turned to point an accusing finger at where Ro and Septima were sat. "I came upstairs from the dungeons to see those two loosening the chandelier, and then that one-" her attention switched to Poppy "-Stupefied me!"

The peaceful chatter in the Hall quickly turned into an all out shouting match. Fleamont rose from his seat with fury in his eyes, flanked by a visibly seething Alastor. "I advise you to think twice about accusing my House-mates, Walburga," he growled in uncharacteristic anger, "you may be Head Girl, but I am Head Boy and they have my defence." Ro tried to shoot Fleamont a grateful smile, but it was met instead with Augusta's deeply disapproving frown. There was going to be a serious reckoning when they returned to Gryffindor Tower after the Feast.

"It's your word against hers, Potter!" Lucretia retorted viciously, leaving Walburga to continue her argument with Professor Dippet. Professors Merrythought and Dumbledore were talking between themselves, Professor Dumbledore looking bemused and Professor Merrythought exasperated. The other members of staff present- Professors Kettleburn, Beery and Callisto- were all looking thoroughly confused. On the other end of the student table, Filius Flitwick and Orion were shouting at each other, while Alphard stood a few feet behind looking a little unsure of himself.

"What's going on?" Wilhelmina hissed.

Millicent shrugged, a panicked look on her face that Ro knew wasn't entirely acting. "No idea!"

Larry looked about to say something when a deafening blast sounded. Several people screamed in surprise, everyone clamping their hands over their ears. When quiet resumed, Ro's ears were ringing but she was just about able to understand Professor Dippet's words when he started speaking again.

"Miss Black," he thundered, standing up to tower over Walburga, "I'm not sure where these accusations have come from, but they are absolutely ludicrous."

Walburga started to protest, but the few words she got out of her mouth were met with another blast which Ro realised was coming from Professor Merrythought's wand. She too got out of her seat, fixing Walburga with a glare from piercing blue eyes as she said "How can they have been in the Entrance Hall when they were with me in Ravenclaw Tower?"

The immense stress Ro was feeling lessened instantly- it seemed their plan had worked. Walburga's mouth fell open, eyes goggling at Professor Merrythought. "They might have gone there first," Orion bluffed.

This time it was Fleamont who responded. "They were hardly gone 10 minutes! There's no way they'd have had the time!"

"Miss Black," Professor Dippet said, motioning for Fleamont to sit down, "I think it is time for you to calm down, unless you and your family wish to eat your Christmas dinner in the dungeons."

There was quiet for a moment, before Walburga turned around and flounced over to the student table as far as she could get from the Gryffindors. Ro was very grateful that the food chose then to suddenly appear, as she didn't think she could take another moment of one of the Blacks trying to stare her down.

Thankfully the rest of the Christmas period wasn't quite as confrontational, but the charged atmosphere was noticeable whenever Ro encountered one of the Blacks around the castle. It took a lot of self control not to shoot a sneaky hex their way, especially when Poppy and Millicent winced at the mention of 'Mudblood' or when 'blood traitor' was shot in Irma's direction. But Irma never reacted to the comments of her House-mates; the only time her unbreakable mask faltered was when it was time for her to move back into her own Slytherin dormitory.

"You'll be ok?" Ro asked as Irma clicked the lock on her trunk. Irma didn't respond, only nodding once before turning to look up at her.

"You're always welcome here. The Fat Lady's password for this term is chandelier, and we'll let you know if it changes." As Minerva spoke, Ro couldn't help smirking at the mention of the password. Fleamont had specifically requested it, in honour of the prank that no-one acknowledged but everyone remembered.

"I'll be fine," Irma insisted quietly, wearing the pretend smile that Ro remembered from when Slytherin were being blamed for the Muggleborn attacks. Minerva pulled her into a brief hug before she opened the door of the dormitory to where Professor Dumbledore was waiting in the Common Room to take her trunk back to the Slytherin Dungeons.

For reasons other than the hostility from Slytherin, things at Hogwarts seemed a little different when everyone returned for the new term. Ro hadn't been able to quite pin it down, until they arrived for a Herbology lesson a couple of weeks into the term to see Professor Kettleburn waiting for them rather than Professor Beery.

"Professor Beery has been forced to take some time away," Professor Kettleburn announced as the third years all sat down, "as his brother's family home was hit by one of those Muggle bombs this morning. We would get Professor Ainsley back to teach in his place-" despite the graveness of the message, Ro found herself begging for Professor Ainsley to be unavailable "-but he too has faced a family tragedy. So until circumstances change, you Herbology lessons will be covered by any free members of staff."

"Poor Professor Beery," Poppy whispered as Professor Kettleburn left them to carry on pruning the giant Umbrella Flower as Professor Beery had instructed them on the previous lesson.

Ro was silent for a moment, lost in thought, before she spoke. "I think I've worked out why everything seems different now. I might be losing my marbles here, but have you noticed some people never came back after Christmas?"

Millicent gasped, the dawning realisation clear on her face. "Irvin and Elspeth Reid! Their father's a Muggle, something must have happened to him!"

"And Tomoko Chang was missing from our last Quidditch practise," Septima added, "I heard Brutus talking to Peggy about getting a substitute Chaser for the match next month. Do you reckon it was something similar?"

"Hiro said it was," Mali Shafiq said, appearing from behind Septima and Millicent, "he's playing Chaser for the Gryffindor match, and the Hufflepuff match too if Tomoko still isn't back. Her mother was serving as a Hit Wizard in Europe against Grindlewald and their whole unit's been massacred."

Ro gulped involuntarily, and she instantly felt Minerva's hand on her shoulder. Her mind raced furiously as she tried to remember whether Kurtis had ever mentioned a Chang on his Unit; as an Auror he'd been recruited to serve in Europe a couple of months ago. She didn't hear the rest of the conversation, hardly able to think straight until she was back in Gryffindor Tower and Floo-calling her mother. It was Tavin who answered, and he was quick to reassure her that Kurtis' unit remained unharmed.

From then on it seemed as if there were people disappearing left, right and centre. Edwin Doyle, another third year Gryffindor, was nowhere to be seen the next morning, and Mary Taylor in sixth year was seen leaving hurriedly a week or so later. Wilhelmina reported Eglantine Puffett's absence at the beginning of February, not long before Imogen mentioned one of her Slytherin friends, Reginald Vanity, had lost his father though Grindlewald. The whole school seemed to have fallen under a fog of gloom that only lifted at the end of February, when the excitement of Quidditch got strong enough to overcome it.

The buzz on the pitch was just the same as it ever was when the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams faced each other, waiting for Spinnet to blow the whistle and start the match. Fleamont had been cautiously optimistic for an easy win; after all, they had beaten Ravenclaw the previous year and this year they'd had to do an emergency substitute. But it quickly became apparent that their new Captain, Beater Brutus Scrimegeour, had made some vast improvements to his team. The new Keeper, Philip Ackerley, was irritatingly good at catching Quaffles to the point that between him and Alastor neither team was scoring very regularly. Over half and hour into the game, the score was a mere 20 all, and Seeker Nina Hilliard was starting to get worryingly close to the Snitch.

But Gryffindor hadn't come entirely unprepared. A flash of red in the corner of Ro's eye alerted her of Ernest's presence behind her, as had been agreed in the case of a diversion being needed. Although Ro had been half-hoping she'd get an opportunity to pull off a move similar to the one she'd used to get the Snitch in the Ravenclaw match last year, Poppy had made her promise to avoid anything too death-defying. Ro turned and nodded to Ernest, before dropping several feet to give him a clear shot of Hilliard. A Bludger was heading towards him at rapid speeds, but as Ernest raised his club he was abruptly taken out by the other Bludger slamming into him from behind.

"Keep going!" Ernest hollered just before he hit the ground. Ro winced and quickly looked up, trying to pick out the Beater responsible. It was none other than Scrimegeour himself; the burly sixth year looked up from where Spinnet was tending to Ernest as he flew over to the other side of the pitch. Fleamont had possession of the Quaffle, heading fast towards the scoring rings, but that wasn't what made her heart stop for a second. Minerva was swooping down to take the Quaffle from Fleamont, black plait streaming out behind her as she flew, and it was clear that Scrimegeour had her in his sights.

Gritting her teeth, Ro leaned forward on her Silver Arrow and silently urged it to fly faster. Minerva was still clearly oblivious of Scrimegeour behind her, all her focus directed on the Quaffle as she caught it from Fleamont and aimed for the centre hoop. Time seemed to slow down; a Bludger hit by Ravenclaw's other Beater zoomed towards Scrimegeour and he lifted his club into the air just as the Quaffle left Minerva's fingers.

"Min!" Ro shrieked, and Minerva's gaze flickered from Ackerley in front of her to Scrimegeour behind. Taking a deep breath, Ro dove between her and Scrimegeour, hoping to distract him enough for Minerva to make a getaway. A pained grunt sounded somewhere in the distance, and she looked up in time to see the hit Bludger miss Minerva entirely and collide with Ackerley's stomach. He was knocked backwards and the Quaffle sailed straight through the hoop.

The magical megaphone boomed Filius Flitwick announced the goal. "Gryffindor's McGonagall scores a goal after Ackerley is taken out, but the Gryffindors will need to react fast if they want to win this match!" Ro's head snapped up at Flitwick's words, exchanging a horrified glance with Fleamont as he continued "Hilliard is gaining on the Snitch- 30 feet, 25, 20-"

Ro didn't wait around to hear the rest of his commentary. It took a second to locate Hilliard, and without thinking she shot off in hot pursuit. She willed her broom to go faster, panting desperately as the distance between Hilliard's outstretched hand and the glimmering Snitch grew smaller and smaller. They were head to head, shoulders brushing as Ro took both hands off her broom and lunged for the Snitch. The cold metal touched her fingertips, but then Nina's hand closed around it and Ro felt herself sliding forwards. Quick reflexes saved her from plunging to the ground as Ernest had done, but when she saw the devastated expressions of the Gryffindor Team she almost wished she had fallen.

"Ravenclaw win the match with a final score of 180:50 to the Ravenclaws!" Flitwick reported as Ro rejoined Fleamont and the team. Her stomach clenched as she waited for Fleamont's response, but he only seemed a little crestfallen in contrast to the mass disappointment she was expecting.

"It's alright Ro," he sighed, patting her shoulder, "you can't expect to win every match. We've suffered worse defeats than this. We can still get the Cup; Hufflepuff beat Ravenclaw back in November and if Slytherin beat Hufflepuff next weekend then the field will be fairly even with the exception of Slytherin."

Nancy appeared to suffer a short coughing fit that sounded suspiciously like 'serves 'em right'.

Fleamont smirked before continuing. "And there are still the May matches still to go. Back to the Changing Rooms, Team!"

The Ravenclaw team intercepted them en route back to the Changing Rooms, Scrimegeour shaking Fleamont by the hand. "Good game, Potter, your team flew well."

"As did yours, Brutus," Fleamont nodded with a smile, "that's a fantastic Keeper you've got there!"

Ro's attention was jolted from the Captains' conversation by an enthusiastic tap to her shoulder. It was Septima, grinning ecstatically at her and Minerva. "Well done, both of you!"

Ro huffed, lifting her goggles onto her forehead. "What did I do for a well done? Nina beat me to the Snitch-"

"But it was so very close!" Millicent's voice sounded, and Ro turned to see her, Irma and Poppy had run out onto the pitch to join them. Poppy instantly began scrutinising Minerva in search of injuries, and Ro braced herself for her own impending check-over. "We could barely see whose hand was who, one minute it looked like you'd get it, then it looked more like Nina, then you again!"

"Apart from my own House, the scores are incredibly close. Serves them right I suppose." Irma said, rolling her eyes. "It really could go any way."

Septima nodded eagerly. "I can't wait for the May matches!"

"Actually, neither can I." They all turned to stare at Poppy, greatly surprised at her comment. She usually dreaded Quidditch matches, her dislike for the dangerous sport made very clear as the matches drew closer. "Haven't you noticed?"

Ro couldn't restrain her laughter. "All I've noticed is the fact that you've just admitted you're looking forward to a Quidditch match, but I'll be on the lookout for a pig flying by any second!"

Poppy sighed with a grin. "Not for the Quidditch, I haven't had quite that much of a change of heart!"

"What then?" Irma asked, voicing Ro's own curiosity. Poppy was silent for a moment, and Ro could hear the laughter of the rest of the two Teams mingling with the general chatter all around the stadium. It was a stark contrast to the atmosphere they'd grown used to.

"For the first time since Christmas, I could actually forget that we've got two wars going on."

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_ _So here you have the conclusion to the Christmas chandelier episode. I never intended to have it split over two chapters, but ch.24 just got a little too long. I hope it meets your expectations!_

 _Our emphasis here returns more to the wars going on, and it will stay that way until the end of third-year. I thought that between WWII where practically every family had a loss or more, and the war against Grindlewald which in my opinion must have been the same for wizarding families, there would be a massive amount of students both muggleborn and pureblood who were affected. I'm not going to say any more on the subject for fear of spoiling future chapters, but that's just my reasoning behind it._

 _It was never made specifically clear in the series whether Floo-calling from the Common Room fireplaces was possible, but I'm go with the fact that it must be since it was mentioned that all the fireplaces in Hogwarts were being monitored by Umbridge during OotP. This indicated (in my opinion) that any one of them could be used for Floo-calling out of the castle, not just the ones on teacher's offices._

 _I'll just quickly go through the new character mentions. Professor Stella Callisto is the Astrology professor, who we haven't met yet but will before long. Irvin and Elspeth Reid are half blood Ravenclaws in fourth year and first year respectively. Hiro Shafiq (sixth year) is Mali Shafiq's older brother, their surname is canon but they themselves aren't. Eglantine Puffett (fourth year) is a canon character, mentioned very briefly on Pottermore. Edwin Doyle, Mary Taylor, Reginald Vanity and Philip Ackerley are all completely made up, and you've already met the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team._

 _The next chapter may not be here for a while, because I have mock exams starting in a couple of weeks so I really need to put my usual writing time into revision (as boring as that is). It'll definitely be up by March 21st but I should think it'll be done by then, because writing actually makes a very nice break from revision so I doubt I'll drop it completely. Keep an eye on your email alerts if you're a follower, it could arrive at any given time! And on the subject of the next chapter... I'm just going to apologise in advance. Bring tissues if you're an emotional soul like I am, we're in for a wild ride._


	26. Living a Nightmare

_March 1945_

* * *

It didn't take long for the wars to become a daily part of life again. The second Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin took place on the last weekend in February, with a Slytherin victory as Minerva had hoped, but the celebratory atmosphere didn't even last the week before more tragedies were reported.

On the request of the seventh year students, Professor Dippet had agreed to install a Wizard Wireless in each Common Room to report events in both the Muggle and Wizard Wars. In Gryffindor Tower it was on nearly constantly, with the younger students crowded around it when Minerva, Poppy and Ro came down for breakfast and the older students listening as they went to bed. The first bad news reported was from the Muggle war; a rocket bombing in London in early March with several wizard casualties. The whole Tower mourned as one of the names read out was one they recognised; Edgar Maurice, who had been a seventh year when Minerva first arrived at Hogwarts. His younger sister Bertha left mere hours later, and Minerva saw a few other students being ushered down to the Entrance Hall alongside her.

From then on, each and every day was spent almost waiting for more bad news to arrive. Minerva remained cautiously untroubled considering her remote home in the Scottish Highlands, but the effect the wait was having on her friends was much more noticeable. Ro was practically glued to the Wireless every morning as the progress of the fight against Grindlewald was announced, her relief evident when Kurtis' unit was reported safe. Poppy and Millicent wrote home every day as did most of the Muggleborn students, and breakfasts were tense affairs until after the owl post had been and both had letters in their hands.

As winter turned into spring, the beautiful sunny weather brought a feeling of warmth over the castle that chased away some of the gloom and cold from within its walls. There was also the added bonus of no further Muggle war casualties since the bombing that had killed Edgar and so many others, giving the Muggleborn students a little more breathing space. It was announced shortly a week or so before the Easter break began that the British Hit Wizard Army had joined forces with several groups of fighters from elsewhere in Europe, providing a little relief for those students with relations on the front line. With prospects looking brighter than they had done in a long time, the last few days before the holiday felt to Minerva almost 'normal'.

On the very last day of the school term, Ro woke up in such high spirits that she didn't even wait to hear what the Wireless had to say before she was hoping out of the portrait hole to get breakfast. As Minerva climbed out behind her, the words 'BREAKING NEWS' floated in from the Wireless in the now empty Common Room. She hesitated for a moment, before deciding that whatever news was breaking would still be breaking when they returned and running after Poppy and Ro.

But Millicent, Septima and Irma hadn't even arrived from their own dormitories by the time it became apparent that the news would be following them downstairs. The air in the Great Hall was unusually sombre, even more than they'd grown used to in recent times, and one look at the Staff Table immediately told them why. Muggle Studies teacher Professor Bishop looked to be crying quietly as Professor Callisto patted her back and Professors Aurelius and Kettleburn were looking with horror at the Daily Prophet. It was Professors Dippet, Dumbledore and Merrythought immediately looking up at the three of them as they sat down though that really unsettled Minerva. Professor Dippet nodded to Professor Dumbledore, who got up from his seat and walked down to the Gryffindor table.

"Miss Hooch?" he said once in earshot, and Ro tensed immediately. "Would you mind if we had a talk in my office?"

"It's Kurtis, isn't it?" Ro stammered out before Professor Dumbledore had even finished speaking, "Grindlewald's got him, hasn't he?"

Professor Dumbledore shook his head, though the dullness of his blue gaze did nothing to reassure Minerva. "Your brother is safe and well. What I need to discuss with you is another matter entirely."

"Oh, alright," Ro shrugged, "keep that porridge warm for me, won't you Pops?" With a parting smile she followed Professor Dumbledore out of the Hall, just as Irma arrived from the dungeons.

"Morning," she greeted them with her usual half-smile, sitting down next to Poppy in the seat that Ro had just left. "What did Professor Dumbledore want?"

Minerva shrugged in an attempt at indifference, but in truth she was feeling increasingly uneasy. Millicent and Septima joined them soon after, but in stark contrast with their usual grins they were both looking shocked. "Did you listen to the Wireless this morning?" Septima asked breathlessly before anyone had a chance to say hello.

Poppy and Irma both shook their heads. "I heard something just as we were leaving Gryffindor Tower, but didn't stay to listen." Minerva said, looking up at the newspaper that Millicent was brandishing. "Why, what's happened?"

"Look for yourself," Millicent said, showing them the front page. There it was, in stark capital letters; **'MINISTRY OF MAGIC TAKES DIRECT HIT FROM MUGGLE ROCKET'**.

"But how, it's underground?" Irma voiced Minerva's own question as Poppy took the newspaper, reading it with furrowed brows.

"Apparently the building above was hit, and the impact caused the ground to fall down into the Ministry." Septima said, worry in her voice. "One Muggle was killed and quite a few Ministry workers too, most of the first floor was completely-"

She was interrupted by a sharp gasp from Poppy, who had one hand over her mouth as she stared at the Prophet. "Minerva," Poppy said slowly, handing it to Minerva, "you should read this. Carefully."

An uncomfortable weight seemed to drop in Minerva's stomach at Poppy's words. Taking the paper, she cleared her throat and started to read out the front page article.

 ** _"The building above where the Ministry of Magic is situated has been completely destroyed by a Muggle bomb at approximately 7:45am this morning. As a result of the bomb's impact, considerable damage has been done to the Ministry Headquarters from sections of ground falling into the Ministry and demolishing most of the first floor and sections of the second. Minor structural damage has also been sustained to other floors. Obliviators were on scene to modify the memory of Muggle workers as was required."_**

Minerva looked up at Poppy, who was still just as pale and trembly as she had been before. "Go on," she encouraged grimly.

 ** _"One Muggle (Mr William Exeter) was reported dead at the scene and two more (Mr Stephen Blake and Mr Arnold Latham) have been taken to a Muggle hospital for treatment. In the time since the bombing, workers from St. Mungos and Ministry staff who Apparated from the unaffected Atrium have slowly worked through the rubble that remains of the first and second floors. So far the Wizard death toll has reached 8 with 12 more seriously injured. The Minister himself is unharmed although his office has been destroyed along with the rest of the first floor, having been in the Department of International Magic Cooperation on the fifth floor at the time. The bodies identified so far are that of Miss Barbarella Phillips, Mrs Gladys Hooper, Mr Cadmus Jenkins (all from the Improper Use of Magic Office), Mr Arthur Cooley (Tea-boy to the aforementioned Department), Mr Nicholas Bishop (Special Advisor for Muggle Communications)-"_**

"I bet that's why Professor Bishop is so upset", Millicent murmured quietly.

 ** _"-Mrs Irene Howard (Secretary to the Advisor for the Minister of Magic), Mrs Felicity Abbott (Head of the Wizengamot Administration Services) and Mr Quentin Fawley (Daily Prophet correspondent). Madame Wilhelmina Tuft (Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement) and Mr Eldritch Carlisle (Chief Advisor for the Minister of Magic) have been taken to St. Mungos for emergency medical treatment along with several others not yet identified."_**

Minerva read over the casualty list in her head several times, feeling something very familiar about one of the names. It was only as she squinted down at one name in particular that the penny dropped, and she felt as if an icy hand had gripped her chest unexpectedly.

Mrs Felicity Abbott.

Aunt Felicity.

Ro's mother!

Nearly falling over backwards in her haste to get up from the table, Minerva dropped Millicent's copy of the Prophet into her porridge as clambered over the bench. "If we're not back, meet us in Gryffindor Tower after the first lesson." she ordered Irma, Millicent and Septima, not hearing their reactions as she and Poppy raced out of the Great Hall without a second's hesitation.

"Do you think she'll be in the dormitory?" Poppy panted from behind her.

"I don't know, I just hope she hadn't done anything stupid!" Minerva called back as they reached the third floor. Not concentrating on anything other than running as fast as she could manage, she narrowly avoided running straight into Professor Dumbledore who seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Professor!" she gasped, "Where's Ro?"

Professor Dumbledore regarded them sadly for a moment or two. "I presume you two have seen this morning's edition of the Daily Prophet?" he asked, and when both Minerva and Poppy nodded he sighed as he continued. "Miss Hooch, I believe, is in Gryffindor Tower. She left my office about five minutes ago, understandably in quite a state. You two had better go up and see her."

His words did nothing to lessen Minerva's increasing panic. Without another word she had taken off again, sprinting up the staircases until they were running towards the Fat Lady. "Chandelier, open the door!" Minerva shouted, not caring how rude she sounded, and was grateful when the portrait swung open in time for her to jump through without breaking stride. The Common Room was still deserted, the Wireless recounting details of the Ministry bombing which they'd read in the Prophet, so with an apprehensive glance at Poppy they continued up to the dormitory.

There was no sign of Ro, but it was clear from a first glance that she'd been there as Professor Dumbledore had said. The curtains and bed-hangings were flapping wildly from the breeze coming from a jagged hole in the window, shattered glass scattered all around the floor. "Good grief, it's never been that bad before." Minerva whispered, remembering Ro's past incidents of accidental glass-smashing as she looked in wonder at the scene before them.

Poppy bent down to pick something up of the floor; it was a photo, one that Minerva remembered seeing at the Hoochs' house in Little Wakering. "The entire frame's damaged, she must have thrown it against the wall." Poppy said in a shaking voice as Minerva took the photo to look at it more closely. The date in the corner told her it had been taken just under 10 years ago, which made sense when she turned her gaze to the people smiling and waving up at her. From the yellow eyes of all five children and the father, she knew instantly that it was the Hooch family. Kurtis looked to be around the same age as Fleamont, and the slightly younger boy next to him must be Mallory who was the only sibling she hadn't met yet. The Erika from 10 years ago looked so much like Ro did now that it was almost impossible to tell them apart, and Tavin bore a striking resemblance to Emery. Aunt Felicity was standing beside her husband, looking hardly different to when they had met her over the summer, and in their arms, grinning at the camera, was unmistakeably a 5 year old Ro.

She turned it over to see a few words written on the back in Aunt Felicity's neat cursive. _"July 21st, 1935- celebrating Kurtis and Mallory's NEWT and OWL results, the birth of Anja Katriona Hooch, and Luther's leaving party."_ Minerva read quietly, her horror growing. "This- this must be the last photo of Ro's father before Grindlewald killed him."

Poppy gulped quietly. "They all look so happy," she whispered, turning the photo back over to look at the waving family.

After watching Ro smiling from her parents' arms for a moment or two longer, Minerva shook her head to get herself back on track. "Come on, we have to find her."Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, walking over to the window and pulling out her wand. "Reparo," she said, and the glass from the floor flew back into the window to seal the massive hole. But as she turned away, a flash of movement in the sky outside caught her eye and she had to restrain a gasp when she realised what it was. "Poppy, Ro's out there!"

Poppy was by her side in an instant, a hand flying to her mouth. Ro was shooting across the sky at breakneck speeds, twisting, turning and diving as if she was being followed by an invisible Bludger. "Remember the Auror Guard in Hogsmeade? She's going to get herself killed!" Poppy cried.

Minerva's mind was whirling. "Right- you get the window open, I'll get my broom, we'll have to go after her." She ran over to her bed and pulled her broom out from under it, taking cover as Poppy aimed her wand at the window. With a shout of "Reducto!" a blue light burst from Poppy's wand and the entire window exploded into fine shards of glass.

Once the window was gone, Minerva ran up to the ledge and mounted her broom. "Get on behind me, quickly!" she said, and Poppy unsteadily swung a leg over so she was sitting behind. She wrapped her arms tightly around Minerva's waist as they kicked off, hovering above the ground for a moment before flying out of the Tower.

As Minerva and Poppy approached her, Ro stopped her erratic flying to look down at them with pure anger written all over her face. "Leave me alone!" she shouted, tears running down her cheeks from red-rimmed eyes. She turned to continue flying but Minerva was quicker; ignoring Poppy's alarmed squeak, she swerved around so they were in front of her again.

"You have to come down!" Minerva called desperately, "It's not safe up here!"

"I don't care!" came the screamed reply, "Dad's gone because of the Wizard War, Mum's gone because of the Muggle war, I just don't care anymore! I just want it all to be over!"

"Ro, please-" Minerva begged, but she didn't get to finish the sentence before a red beam of light shot between them and Ro. Poppy's fears had been realised; the Auror Guard had spotted them and clearly thought they were Grindlewald's soldiers. Within seconds the sky was alight with blues and reds, most of them missing by incredibly small distances. "We're going to get hit, please come down!"

But her words had exactly the opposite effect to what she had hoped for. Ro looked down in the direction of Hogsmeade, waved both arms wildly in the air and yelled "Go on then, I bet you can't get me!"

"She's gone mad!" Poppy's horrified whisper sounded in Minerva's ear.

"I've already lost everything, you may as well just-"

She was silenced by numerous Stunning spells striking her in the chest- Minerva couldn't count how many had hit or missed. The manic grin was wiped from her face, eyes rolling backwards as she fell into unconsciousness, but before Minerva could catch her, the Silver Arrow splintered violently on impact with a Reducto curse. With nothing left to keep her airbourne, Ro started falling towards the ground at an alarming speed.

"Hold on!" Minerva cried, tipping her broom forwards to dive straight after her.

Poppy's grip on Minerva intensified, using one of her hands to pull her wand from her robe pocket and swish it down at Ro. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted, and to Minerva's astonishment Ro gradually slowed down. She hovered still for a second, allowing Minerva and Poppy to gain a considerable distance on her, before Poppy's concentration failed and she suddenly dropped again. Her focus entirely taken up by Ro, Minerva hardly noticed Greenhouse 3 looming below them until Ro crashed through the roof and they were forced to swerve steeply in order to avoid doing the same.

Dizzy from the speed of their descent, Minerva landed clumsily on the ground next to the greenhouse and staggered slightly as they sprinted inside. The glass panel Ro had fallen through had completely smashed, fragments of glass littering the ground around Ro's still form. Minerva's heart was hammering in her chest as they approached her slowly, Poppy bending down to place two fingers on Ro's neck and put her ear to Ro's face. "She's alive," Poppy reported quickly, but footsteps sounded behind them interrupted her before she could say anything else. In the doorway of the greenhouse were the Hufflepuff and Slytherin first-years, with Professor Epsilon pushing his way through the crowd; Minerva assumed that it had been the Arithmancy Professor's turn to cover the first-years' Herbology class.

"Merlin's beard," he said, the colour draining from his face. "Miss McGonagall, what happened?"

"She got hit by the Auror Guard while she was flying." Minerva explained hurriedly as Poppy one of Ro's arms to check it for injury. Judging by the awkward angle the other was lying at, it had clearly been broken by the fall.

"Oh my, she needs to get to the Hospital Wing." Professor Epsilon said faintly, striding over and bending down as if to pick her up.

Poppy moved at lightning speed, pushing Professor Epsilon away with surprising strength. "Don't move her, she might have spinal injuries!" The glare on her face as she looked at the Professor reminded Minerva strongly of Professor Merrythought's intense looks when instructing them on the more dangerous spells in DADA.

Professor Epsilon looked taken aback by the authority in Poppy's tone, but merely stammered "Right, of course. Miss McGonagall, your friend seems to be in control, what needs to be done?"

Minerva looked to Poppy, who said without looking up from Ro "Fetch Madame Quinine, now!"

As Professor Epsilon ran out of the greenhouse, Minerva approached the frightened looking first years who were staring at the scene before them with shocked expressions. "Everyone back to Greenhouse 1, we need some space here." She ordered, trying to convey a confidence she did not feel.

"Minerva?" Imogen, Pomona and Rosmerta had left their classmates to stand in front of her with wide eyes. "Will Ro be ok?"

"I don't know," Minerva said bluntly, not finding the effort to pretend otherwise. Thinking fast, she added "Can you three go down to the Dungeons and ask for Irma, Septima and Millicent to come down to the Greenhouse? They'll be in Potions; Professor Slughorn won't mind."

Once the first years were all gone, Minerva turned her attention back to Ro. She was terrifyingly still, her only movement the feint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her head lolled sideways, and Minerva's stomach churned when she noticed the thin trail of blood trickling from one nostril. Poppy tapped Ro's broken arm gently with her wand and muttered "Ferula," conjuring up bandages that wrapped it tightly to a splint. She then focused on splinters of wood and glass in Ro's face and hands, using her wand to remove them as carefully as she could with her shivering hands.

Needing something to distract her from the panic rising in her chest, Minerva set about collecting the remaining pieces of Ro's beloved Silver Arrow. The fragments of pale birch wood in her arms were almost painful to look at, reminding her of times Ro had soared over the Quidditch pitch with such joy on her face. 'She'll need a new broom,' Minerva thought; a dark voice in the back of her mind adding 'if she ever wakes up.'

Her foreboding thoughts were silenced by a new voice, shouting "Out of my way!" Madame Quinine had arrived, and Minerva had never been so grateful to see the matron as she crouched beside Poppy and gave Ro a quick look over. "Walter!" she snapped as Professor Epsilon reappeared tentatively in the door of the greenhouse, "Inform Armando that St. Mungos needs to be summoned! Multiple Stunners are beyond my capabilities." Minerva felt her chest constrict and she accidentally dropped the bits of Silver Arrow, words failing her as Madame Quinine levitated Ro onto a conjured stretcher and stormed out of the greenhouse with Ro floating ahead of her.

The sound of crunching glass alerted her to Poppy scrambling to her feet, looking remarkably lost in the centre of the wreckage now that she had nothing to fuss over. Her hands were held out in front of her when she turned to face Minerva, as if she didn't know what to do with them anymore. She opened her mouth to say something, then her face crumpled as she broke down into shuddering sobs. Minerva rushed forward and pulled her into her arms, rocking her back and forth like she used to do when one of her brothers was upset.

"You did so well, she's going to be just fine," Minerva murmured as Poppy wept into her shoulder.

"But what if she's not?" came the whimpered question.

Minerva winced at the very idea, unintentionally squeezing Poppy harder as the tears she'd been holding back all morning finally spilled down her cheeks. "She will be," she whispered fiercely, unsure whether it was Poppy she was trying to convince or herself.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

_It's odd, being an author, looking forward to writing a scene but dreading it at the same time. I enjoy writing emotional situations, but at the same time I hate imagining the characters I've grown to care for so much being put through such terrible times._

 _I'm sure that between cursing my name you're wondering what on earth gave me this idea? Well it first arose from seeing on the HP wiki that Ro was hit by an anti-aircraft gun while flying on her broom at some point in her life. I knew I wanted to write this, but then realised that there would be no anti-aircraft guns around Hogwarts so had to think of a substitute (which is how the Auror Guard were born). But despite Ro's reckless she is usually fairly level-headed, so I knew there would need to be a severe emotiona reason for her to put herself in such danger. Hence poor Felicity Abbott meeting her untimely fate. (The surname thing will be explained later, to anyone who is confused). When I first came up with this idea, Felicity was going to be quite an unlikeable character so killing her off would have been fairly easy. But then I got very attatched writing those summer '44 chapters, leading to a great deal of debate over whether to go ahead or not. But the character development she'll undergo as a result is very important to the rest of the story, so I decided to stick to my plan._

 _I don't know whether it's completely accurate, and that goes for fitting in with HP canon and the first aid details. The Ministry bombing seems fairly possible to me, and as for the first aid stuff I am a lifeguard so it should hopefully be pretty realistic._

 _In the wake of this pretty miserable chapter, I would also like to present you with this: post/ 140934488109/one-of-those-draw-the-squad-memes-with-the_  
 _Take out the space between the / and the 4, and you'll reach a picture on my tumblr blog that I created while procrastinating with revision. It's very silly and a bit of a rushed effort, but the idea made my giggle so hopefully it will lessen any pain this has caused you..._

 _(ps y'all should follow my tumblr ;) I do post occasional fanfic-related stuff, plus plenty of Harry Potter)_


	27. A Time to Heal

_April 1945_

* * *

The last time Poppy had been in Professor Dumbledore's office they had all been laughing at their comical situation, a memorable day because of all the right reasons. There had been some seriousness in the fact that the Gryffindor dormitory was being destroyed by Fanged Puffskeins in that exact moment, but it was hard not to laugh when you and four of your best friends along with your favourite teacher were all wearing nightclothes and surrounded by living pom-poms.

This time however, there was no way to avoid the grim and grave circumstances. She and Minerva were at Professor Dumbledore's desk with Professor Dippet and Madame Quinine on the other side, slowly recounting the exact details of Ro's accident. They'd been ushered up there almost as soon as Madame Quinine had left with Ro on a stretcher, and the silent wait until Madame Quinine returned had been absolute anguish. Poppy was extremely grateful for Minerva's reassuring presence beside her, holding her hand under the table and taking over whenever her own voice failed.

"Are you sure she fell all the way from the height of Gryffindor Tower?" Madame Quinine asked without looking up from the clipboard on which she was writing madly. "That would be over 100 feet, the chance of her surviving that would be infinitesimal."

Poppy had to swallow hard to stop her throat from clenching up. "I used the Levitation Charm on her, but it didn't work for very long."

"Did you really?" Professor Dippet said in a tone close to wonderment. "In that case I think you may have saved her life, Miss Pomfrey. And the spells you performed on Miss Hooch once she was on the ground were very advanced for your age, might I ask how you came across them?"

Poppy shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention the Headmaster was paying her. "I read up about them, and I've seen some of them used before."

"Well you've definitely made a significant difference in Miss Hooch's prognosis." Madame Quinine said concludingly, taking a final look through her extensive notes before putting down her quill. "She's been received into the Eliethia Ibelin Ward for paediatric spell damage, and will be monitored intensively for the next 48 hours to get her through the worst stage." She then fixed both Poppy and Minerva with a soft yet solemn look before continuing "I hope you both know that she'll be there for a while. Single Stunners are easily recovered from, but when multiplied they can have unpredictable side effects."

Squeezing Poppy's hand as she winced, Minerva asked quietly "But she'll be ok?"

Madame Quinine nodded. "Yes, she's young and strong so should eventually make a full recovery. It's her mentality that I'm more concerned about; the shock of losing her mother combined with the trauma of this accident will be hard to move on from. It's likely she will remember falling, as despite being unconscious in theory, you still have a fair amount of awareness for about half a minute after you're hit by a Stunner."

"She's going to need all your care and support to get her through this." Professor Dippet finished for her.

Minerva nodded; Poppy was astounded at how controlled she was keeping herself. "Can we go please?"

Professor Dippet smiled sadly at them. "Yes, you may. You are both excused from lessons for the rest of the day, as are Miss Bagnold and the Misses Vector." He paused momentarily before adding "Young Mr Hooch and his friends have already been informed- Professor Dumbledore spoke to them as soon as Miss Hooch was transferred to St Mungos. His parents are coming shortly to take him home."

Poppy nodded vaguely in acknowledgement as she and Minerva hurriedly left Professor Dumbledore's office. They had barely closed the door before a weight barreled into Poppy's back; she shrieked in surprise before seeing auburn-brown hair in the corner of her vision and realising it was Septima clinging onto her.

"Professor Dumbledore's just told us everything." Millicent said, her eyes and nose red. Irma remained quiet as she always did in emotional times, the only sign of her sadness the way she squeezed her eyes shut momentarily as Minerva hugged her tightly.

"Did Madame Quinine say how she was?" Septima asked brokenly, resting her head on Poppy's shoulder without removing her crushing arms from around Poppy's middle.

"Broken arm, skull fracture, numerous shallow cuts and spell damage to her chest." Poppy murmured. "She's been taken to the childrens' spell damage ward at St Mungo's and won't be coming back for a while."

Millicent covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she burst into tears. Septima released Poppy with one hand to drag Millicent into their hug, and after a moment Irma and Minerva joined the circle on Poppy's other side. Minutes or hours could have passed as they stood there in the corridor, clinging onto each other as if their lives depended on it.

Everything seemed different without Ro around. There was no laughter in the mornings, no playful squabbles at the dinner table, no Exploding Snap in the Common Room before bedtimes. Professor Dippet and the Heads of House had given permission for Millicent, Septima and Irma to move into the Gryffindor dormitory for the duration of the upcoming holiday to try and distract from the gaping hole that Ro had left, though it didn't really make that much of a difference. Minerva seemed tense all the time to the point where Poppy had to remind her to relax herself every now and then, Millicent hardly smiled anymore, the warm light had left Septima' eyes and Irma scarcely spoke a word unless it was just the five of them alone together. What should have been the beginning of a joyful Easter break was fast turning into the worst few days of Poppy's life.

April Fool's Day, four days after the accident, had always been one of Ro's favourite days. But this year it came with obituaries rather than pranks and jokes, and dozens of them at that. Minerva, Poppy and Irma pored over Minerva's copy of the Daily Prophet at the breakfast table while Millicent and Septima shared Millicent's paper, flicking through pages upon pages of memorial passages for those who had been killed in both the Ministry bombing and the most recent Grindlewald casualties. Professor Bishop had written a beautiful passage about her husband which had Poppy deeply moved despite never having known him. Aunt Felicity's was split into two parts, the first section written by Kurtis and the second by Aunt Felicity's squib sister Josephine who they had been introduced to briefly during the summer at Little Wakering. Reading it had brought tears to both Minerva and Poppy's eyes, remembering the women who they had known for such a short time but loved them both like her own daughters.

The following day had brought another unusual breakfast- all eyes were to the ceiling as the owl post arrived, watching two owls hooting angrily at each other while both trying to carry the same letter. Poppy felt her cheeks glow as she realized one of the culprits was her own owl Piper, though managed to laugh when they recognised the other as Fergus, Minerva's Tawny. They crashed abruptly down on the table right into the plate of fried eggs, scattering feathers and bits of toast everywhere as they continued to fight over the letter. Minerva managed to wrestle it out of their claws and rolled her eyes amusedly as they gave each other an affronted look before flying back out of the Great Hall.

"Who's it actually for after all that?" Millicent asked with a smirk on her face.

"Both of us." Minerva said, to Poppy's surprise. "Miss M A McGonagall and Miss P V Pomfrey, The Great Hall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Poppy frowned in confusion as she took the letter from Minerva, studying the handwriting which was both familiar but not recognisable. With a glance at Minerva she opened it carefully, pulling out a short letter written in the same slight scribble that she skimmed through to find the name of the sender. "It's from Erika!" she exclaimed, suddenly realizing why the handwriting had been so familiar.

Minerva's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What's she said?" Poppy quickly drank what was left of her tea before reading it out.

" _To Poppy and Minerva, I hope you don't mind me writing at this time. Kurtis asked me to write- he's back from Europe on leave since he's got to sort out all the paperwork from Mum's death. He's inherited the house at Little Wakering, so of course you'll both still be welcome back whenever you like._ "

"That's kind." Minerva mused quietly.

" _Tavin and I visited Ro in St Mungos yesterday- she hasn't woken up yet and the nurses don't think she will for another couple of weeks. Apparently she's in something called a Magically Induced Coma- we're not sure what it means exactly but thought you might have a better idea Poppy. But she's stable and doing ok. I hope you both are too, I'm not too sure down this end. Love Erika"_

"Is that the Erika who came to help you get rid of the Puffskein infestation?" Irma asked.

Minerva nodded. "Yes, Ro's older sister."

"I'm not surprised she's struggling, not only is it nearly a decade since her father's death but now her mother's died and her sister's in one of those coma things." Millicent remarked somberly. "Do you know what it means Poppy?"

"It's when someone's prevented from gaining consciousness due to the amount of magic they've been hit with." Poppy explained- she'd been researching the effect of multiple Stunners since Ro's accident due to the need to understand better what was wrong. "It can either be caused by spell damage like multiple Stunners, or there's a special healing spell that does something similar but much more safely for if a patient needs to remain asleep."

There was a tense silence for a moment, before Millicent suddenly said "Minerva Anne?"

"Eh?" Minerva asked with a bemused smile.

"Your middle name- it said M A McGonagall on the envelope. Is it Anne?"

Minerva laughed briefly. "Oh, I see. Very close, it's actually Annis. Minerva Annis McGonagall."

"And yours begins with a V." Millicent continued, looking to Poppy with a thoughtful expression. "Victoria? Valerie? Vanessa?"

Poppy shook her head. "Not quite, keep guessing!" She was enjoying the sudden lightening of the atmosphere, having not expected it in the aftermath of what had happened.

"Is it Venetia?" Septima guessed, frowning when Poppy shook her head again. "Or Valentine?"

"What about Vivienne?" Minerva suggested.

"Verona?" Irma put in.

Poppy laughed at all their failed attempts. "No, no and no! Anything else?" The table fell into quiet again as they considered, before she added "Think along the same lines as my first name."

"But what name beginning with V goes with Penelope?" Septima complained; Poppy merely smiled sweetly at her.

Millicent's fist banged on the table, making Poppy jump and spilling the remnants of her pumpkin juice that had remained after the owls had knocked her glass over. "I've got it. Poppy's the link, not Penelope, and they're both flower names. It's Violet!"

"Very impressive!" Poppy grinned, clapping as Millicent dipped her head forward in a comical bow. "Now you have to tell me yours."

"Me? I haven't got one, but my proper first name is Millicent-Mae." Millicent said, "My little sister used to call me Mil-Mae before she was old enough to pronounce Millicent properly."

"Well I had to endure nearly 8 years of being called Minnie by Malcolm and then Robert." Minerva smirked, before asking Septima and Irma "What about you two?"

"Mine's Bridget, because of Bridget Wenlock who was a famous Arithmancer a few hundred years ago." Septima explained, then laughed shortly. "You can tell how enthusiastic father is about numbers- my first name literally means the number seven!"

"And I'm Irma Elladora." Irma continued quickly, clearly reluctant to begin discussing their father. "After Great-Great-Aunt Elladora who died about a week before we were born. Mother told me she chose that name because Elladora was a 'true Black' and it was a desparate attempt to regain favour with her family."

"What do you have to do to be called a 'true Black'?" Poppy asked, though she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

Before Irma could answer, Septima piped in with an exaggerated smile. "She started the tradition of beheading House Elves when they weren't capable of doing her bidding anymore."

"Ah." Minerva said, pulling a repulsed expression. "Well, it's a nice name anyway!"

The cheerful conversation seemed to signal the start of their own recovery, though things were still unmistakeably different. Smiles became brighter and more common, and Poppy's nights became less restless as she was disturbed far less frequently by her own bad dreams or someone else's panicked awakening. The rest of the Easter holiday was spend in relative peace and quiet- she was aware of Minerva and the Quidditch Team's struggle to find a replacement for Ro for the final match but her limited Quidditch knowledge meant she was of little help in the matter.

Lessons resumed near the end of April, but the more uplifted atmosphere in the castle took a massive blow when the fall of the German Ministry of Magic to Grindlewald's forces was reported both over the Wizarding Wireless and in the Daily Prophet. Countless employees had been imprisoned in the fortress of Nurmengard, and those lucky enough to escape had been rescued by the British Hit Wizard forces and sent into hiding in Britain to keep them safe. Despite the extra degree of worry this caused, all downhearted thoughts were dismissed when the 8th of May came around.

Poppy and the other third-years first caught wind of the fact that something was up when a silvery-blue bird appeared from thin air in the middle of their afternoon Charms lesson. It spoke in Professor Dumbledore's voice "Please can all students and staff come down to the Great Hall as a matter of urgency", before disintergrating into thin air.

Professor Aurelius stared at the space where it had been, before clapping her hands to get the class' attention. "You all heard him- everybody down to the Great Hall, and leave your belongings here!"

The Great Hall was in chaos when they arrived down from the Charms classroom. Poppy, Minerva and Irma found Millicent and Septima sat in their usual spot on the Gryffindor Table; there was very little order in where the students were sitting. Professor Dippet was fumbling with a Wireless sat on a podium where the owl lectern was usually placed, the rest of the staff looking just as confused as Poppy felt herself. Almost as soon as everyone had filed in, Professor Dippet lifted his wand to his throat before starting to speak. "I'm sure you're all wondering why you've been called down here at this irregular hour. There is something on the Wizarding Wireless that we know you will all be eager to here." Without further ado he pressed a button on the Wireless, which crackled for a moment before the voices became audible.

" _This is a special announcement that addresses every witch or wizard in Great Britain, young or old. I am your Minister for Magic, Leonard Spencer-Moon, and I am delighted to welcome a long-time friend of mine onto the Wizarding Wireless Network. Mr Winston Churchill is the Muggle Minister, and he has an important announcement for you all."_

There was a moment's pause before a new voice sounded from the Wireless, one Poppy recognised from her pre-Hogwarts days as no more than a 9 year old Londoner. _"I must thank Mr Spencer-Moon for allowing me to present our news directly to the magical community. In the early hours of yesterday morning, the German leader signed a document guaranteeing the unconditional surrender of all German forces. This means that our own war in Europe is over. While there is still fighting in other parts of the world, and I have been assured that your own battle still continues, this is a cause for celebration throughout Great Britain. Long live the cause of freedom."_

No sooner had the Wireless crackled into silence, the Great Hall burst into cheers and shouts of celebration. Professor Dippet was barely audible as he stood with a glass in his hand, and called out "A toast, to all those who lost their lives to the Muggle War."

Minerva took Poppy's hand as she'd done in Professor Dumbledore's office the day of Ro's accident, and in unison they said "To Aunt Felicity" with glasses raised. Similar toasts were being made all around the Hall, names being called out as everybody joined as one to celebrate. The newly returned Professors Beery and Bishop, both who were widely know to be Muggleborns who had lost family, were embracing up at the Staff Table and the other teachers were all wearing looks of absolute relief as they watched the joyful students. Poppy closed her eyes for a moment, sending thanks to whoever might be listening that one threat at least had come to an end.

* * *

"Jocelyn, have you heard the announcement on the Wireless?"

"Yes, Matron Artemisia turned it on in the staff room while I was on my break. Isn't it marvellous?"

'What's marvellous?' she thought vaguely. The voices seemed to be drifting from across the room, though she had no idea who they belonged to.

"What's this I hear about the end of the Muggle War? Is it true that the Muggle Minister was on the Wizarding Wireless Network?"

"Yes Oberon, it was broadcasted just under an hour ago!"

She opened her eyes and attempted to raise her head, though was greatly alarmed when her entire chest felt tight and heavier than lead. She must have cried out without realising it, as within seconds there was a pair of hands on her shoulders gently easing her back down into her pillow.

"Careful now Miss Rolanda, you've been asleep for over four weeks now, so you'll need to take things a little more slowly at first." The nurse's words surprised her, and she looked with confusion at the dark-skinned woman who was now pottering around with a few bottles on a table at the end of her bed. The nurse must have noticed, for she abandoned her task to sit down on the bed where Ro could see her clearly. "My name is Nurse Jocelyn, and I've been in charge of looking after you since you arrived here at St Mungo's at the end of March. Do you remember?"

Ro shook her head ever so slightly. It was only then that she realised that the room around her wasn't the Gryffindor dormitory- the space around her bed was surrounded by a set of white curtains rather than the crimson hangings she was used to. There was a board hanging from the curtain rail, which read ' _Rolanda Xiomara Hooch:- multiple Stunning spells and head injury. Nurse in charge:- Jocelyn Evermonde_."

Without warning, memories came flooding back to her like pictures from a photo album. Professor Dumbledore taking her to his office, the Ministry Bombing, breaking her photo frame and the dormitory window, flying out around the Tower despite Minerva and Poppy begging her not to. Then a numbness spreading across her chest, an explosion beneath her, and falling down, down, down... a wave of nausea passed over her and she screwed her eyes shut.

"It's alright dear, you're recovering very well. I just need you to take these potions for me." Ro gave a tiny nod, opening her mouth as Jocelyn fed her a spoon of what she vaguely recognised as an Anti-Sickness Draught from the bland taste. Three more unknown potions followed, before Jocelyn asked "Would you like me to get you something to eat. They make the most wonderful chicken soup here, just what you need to make you feel better."

Chicken soup... her mum had always brought a steaming bowl of it up to her attic whenever she hadn't been feeling well. Her stomach constricted suddenly- her mum was gone. She was remembering it now, her mum was gone. Ro shook her head, and with a sigh Jocelyn left and pulled the curtains shut behind her. As her mind kept replaying the discovery in Dumbledore's office and the sickening fall that had followed, she closed her eyes and wished she could remember nothing again.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Despite the grimness of it all, I did actually enjoy this chapter. There are some nice family moments between the remaining five of our main six, and following their slow recovery was a good insight into their individual characters. Poppy is incredibly emotional when not filled with adrenaline such as when she was treating Ro, Minerva just won't relax unless she knows everyone's alright, Septima and Millicent both lose their signature joyfullness and Irma just buttons up completely (which I think comes from how she was treated as a child). And we have the end of the Muggle war- I thought it would be fitting if Churchill himself came to do it since the Magical and Muggle Ministers did co-operate over matters that concerned them both. For this story I decided that they knew each other long before they each achieved their positions and Churchill found out about magic- Winston Spencer-Moon is named after him._

 _The last section is sad, but at least you know she's ok. Kind of._

 _Eliethia is adapted from the very long name of a goddess of healing, I forget which goddess. I thought the name fitted for the paediatric spell damage ward, and Ibelin is just a surname plucked from my college history course._

 _I never intended for their middle names to be revealed in this chapter, but the oppertunity arose so I just rolled with it. There was a lot of thought that went into all of them, so I'm really pleased with how they sound. Annis is a Scottish name which I just really love and I think it goes well with Minerva's first name. Poppy almost ended up with Olivia as a middle name, but at the last minute I came up with Violet and thought it suited her a lot better. Bridget Wenlock is a canonical character, mentioned on Pottermore, and as well as sounding nice with Septima I thought the numerical theme worked well. Irma Elladora first came about when I thought about just how pretty it sounded, then I found out on the wiki that Elladora Black died in 1931 so I came up with that bit of backstory. Millicent-Mae just sounded very pretty (I am a big alliteration fan!), and I couldn't think of a proper middle name that I liked better. Ro's middle name is kind of canonical- there are some canon sources that state her first name is Xiomara rather than Rolanda- and I liked it enough to stick with it._

 _Updates should get a little more regular in the next couple of weeks, as I'm now on Easter Break. Thanks for all your patience :)_


	28. Against the Odds

_May 1945_

* * *

There was nowhere that Ro's absence had made more difference than it had on the Quidditch pitch. When Minerva told Fleamont that she would almost certainly miss the match he had been in near despair, his chances of winning the Quidditch Cup for the first time since Erika Hooch Captained the team destroyed. Practises were done very half-heartedly without a Seeker for a while, but with two weeks to go until the final match against Hufflepuff, Fleamont approached her before their practise with a renewed fire in his eyes.

"You're certain that Ro won't be back in time to play in the match?" he asked, for what felt like about the thousandth time since the accident.

Minerva shook her head with a sigh. "Even if she is back, I doubt she'll be able to play. And she hasn't even got a broom anymore." She and Poppy had kept the remnants of the Silver Arrow in a bag under Minerva's bed- it felt too painful to just throw it away after all the victories it had won them.

"In that case, we need to find a new Seeker." He laughed ruefully before continuing, "Augusta asked me this morning if I'd found a substitute, and when I said I hadn't been looking she shouted more than she did at Christmas after what happened in the Great Hall."

The memory of their eventful Christmas and the extent of Augusta's rage made Minerva smirk. "Don't you already have reserve players?" she asked, recalling the list of back-up players that was pinned up next to the team sheet on the House Notice Board. They'd never needed to use them since Minerva joined the team, but they trained alongside the full-time team occasionally so would be an obvious choice for Ro's temporary replacement.

Fleamont grimaced. "We do; our reserve Seekers are Mary Taylor and Joseph Prewett. The only problem is-"

"-that they're not here either." Alastor finished for him, arriving to stand next to Fleamont. Minerva groaned, her hopes falling significantly. Mary Taylor had left in mid February after her father had been lost to Grindlewald, and Joseph Prewett's aunt and uncle had both died in the same Muggle bombing that had killed Edgar Maurice at the beginning of March. "So Fleamont and I were thinking of holding some emergency tryouts."

"Unless," Fleamont interrupted, "we could find someone from the team to substitute for Seeker and use one of the other reserves to fill their place. The Seeker is too much of an important role for someone to fill in at only two weeks' notice with no experience of playing alongside the rest of the team." The rest of the team had gathered around them by now, so Fleamont raised his voice and said "You all know what Ro's role is, and we've been playing together for the past year and a half. Any volunteers?"

Minerva was raising her hand before she even realised it. "I'll do it," she said immediately, "I've practised with Ro more than anyone else has. I know how she plays, so no-one will have to change tactics. And there'll still be Fleamont and Larry as Chasers, so they can carry the Quaffle, so to speak, if my replacement isn't so good."

Fleamont nodded slowly, exchanging a glance with Alastor. "I think that sounds like our best idea," he said with his hand on his chin, before clapping his hands with finality. "Minerva, you play as Seeker today and we'll just use two Chasers. The reserves are Edwin Doyle, Anthea Newton and Cleatus Weasley, Edwin's not been here since his mum died, but Cleatus or Anthea should be fine to sub in. If you can all make an extra practise tomorrow, we should have a full team."

Although she was a Chaser at heart, playing as Seeker made a refreshing change. Minerva had played Ro's position a couple of times during the summer at Little Wakering when they all rotated positions to give everyone a chance to play each part, and found she enjoyed the exhilaration of it. There was something almost feverish about plunging through the air after a ball she could barely see other than a glimmer at the edge of her distance, gripping her broom so hard her knuckled turned white and snatching the Snitch out of the air. She was looking forward to rejoining Fleamont and Larry as Chasers- although their chosen substitute Cleatus was good, it was widely agreed that he couldn't beat Minerva- but for the time being she was making the most of it.

The first final between Ravenclaw and Slytherin was held at the end of the week that had brought the end of the Muggle War, so enthusiasm levels were still incredibly high. Nearly the entire crowd were cheering when Ravenclaw emerged victorious- the Slytherin team and Captain Nott had lost a great deal of popularity following their foul in the Gryffindor match, demonstrated by how the entire match was filmed with omnioculars to ensure they couldn't try to pull off a similar feat. The week between the two finals for Minerva was filled with daily Quidditch practise, which proved a great challenge while trying to juggle exam revision too. She had decided to abuse her Time-Turner just slightly in order to use the hour she spent on the Quidditch pitch to revise in the library with Irma too, keeping to a secluded corner so that no-one could notice her. Dumbledore's warning against it remained in her mind, but she and Irma both agreed that in this instance it was for the best.

When the day of their final match arrived, Minerva couldn't remember ever feeling so queasy before a match. She had grown used to her nervous stomach ache and now expected it before every match, but this time it was sore to the point that she had to get a potion from Poppy's bedside store before she could face even getting out of bed. Rather than go into the Great Hall and be bombarded with the stomach-churning smell of food, she went straight down to the changing rooms and waited for the rest of the team there while Poppy, Irma, Septima and Millicent found seats in the Stands.

As usual, every trace of nerves vanished once she was up in the sky and speeding in pursuit of Alfred Diggory. Her inexperience had allowed the Hufflepuff Seeker to gain the upper hand as the match began, but with some helpful Bludgers from Nancy and Ernest he had lost the Snitch after a short while. Fleamont and Larry were taking the lead in scoring the goals as had been expected- although Cleatus was a fantastic flyer and great at catching the Quaffle, his throwing skills were nowhere near what the team needed to win.

But Hufflepuff were only 10 points ahead of Gryffindor's 20 after the first half hour, giving Minerva hope that if she could hold off Diggory long enough to grab the Snitch they might be able to scrape a win. The next goal went to Hufflepuff, but another score each from Fleamont and Larry brought the two Houses to an equal standing. Minerva was going solely by Flitwick's commentary to keep her updated, not wasting a second to watch her teammates rather than look for the Snitch. Diggory hadn't seen it either since it escaped him near the beginning of the match, so Minerva was desperate to find it before he did.

Her moment came after they'd been playing for nearly 40 minutes; it was hovering fairly still right over the centre of the pitch a few feet above her. She knew that Diggory would catch on in seconds if she simply flew at it, but with her lack of experience she couldn't think of a better way to grab it quickly. Leaning forward on her broomstick and pulling the handle towards her to increase her height, she flew towards it as far as she could manage.

Minerva heard her name vaguely over the commentary, and within seconds a yellow blur in the corner of her vision told her that Diggory was on her tail. He was gaining on her alarmingly quickly, but she kept her eyes fixed firmly on the Snitch as they got closer and closer to it. She felt his hand brush her shoulder and panic flared in her chest, but a reckless lunge forward brought cold metal into contact with her palm and a beam to her face as the stadium went wild.

"The final score is 190:60 to Gryffindor, who have won not only the match but the Quidditch Cup for 1944-45!" Flitwick could scarcely be heard even with the magical megaphone over the roaring of the crowd.

Minerva was nearly beside herself with joy, waving the still-fluttering Snitch in her hand as someone seized her from behind. Fleamont's arms were nearly strangling her but in her elation she didn't care, sinking down to the ground before wriggling out of his grip and hugging an equally ecstatic Nancy. "That was incredible!" Larry shouted to Minerva, looking at her with almost wonderment in his eyes before he embraced her briefly.

The rest of Gryffindor House were now pouring out onto the pitch; Fleamont wrapped his arms around Augusta while a grinning Lester slapped Alastor's back, and Shirley Miller all but threw herself into Ernest's arms. Maggie Jordan gave Larry a high five, her dreadlocks bouncing around her face as she jumped up and down with excitement.

"MINERVAAAAA!" At the sound of her name being shrieked, Minerva turned around just in time to see Millicent barrelling into her with Poppy, Septima and Irma running behind her. "You were amazing!"

"And you didn't even give Poppy a heart attack!" Septima laughed, ruffling Poppy's hair while taking care not to knock Godric off her shoulder.

Irma patted Minerva's shoulder, alerting her to Professor Dippet arriving on the pitch. In his hand was the Quidditch Cup, red ribbons streaming from the handles, so once Millicent had released her she ran over to join the rest of her team. Professor Dippet handed Fleamont the cup, who hoisted it into the air as everyone cheered themselves hoarse. The team were then pushed into a formation with Professor Dumbledore in the middle so that a photograph could be taken, before they were left to their own devices.

"I must admit, Miss McGonagall, that with Miss Hooch's absence I did think for a while that our chances at winning the cup were over." Professor Dumbledore said to Minerva as everyone slowly made their way back to the castle. "But you proved yourself to be very adaptable. I shouldn't be surprised though, considering your mother and uncle were both such talented Quidditch players."

His words made Minerva stop still, ignoring Poppy's squeak as she walked straight into her. "My mother had a... a brother?" she asked in disbelief. Her magical family had never been spoken about at home- other than the fact that she was named after her great-grandmother, she knew nothing of her mother's relatives. Professor Dumbledore nodded, seeming faintly surprised. "Can- can you tell me about him?"

"I can, but I feel now is not the time. Go and celebrate with your friends, and come to my office tomorrow at noon. I will tell you everything I know."

Minerva stared blankly for a moment longer, before Poppy's gentle tug at her hand pulled her back into reality.

If the party following the defeat of Slytherin in November had been big, it was nothing compared to the scene in Gryffindor Tower that they arrived back to. The food and music were enough to distract her from the sudden revelation that she had an uncle for the rest of the day, but that night she lay awake for a long while after Poppy, Septima, Millicent and Irma had fallen asleep. Secrets were something she had come to accept at home, but something this significant had left even her shocked and a little unsettled.

Poppy had offered to accompany her to Professor Dumbledore's office, so shortly before midday they left Millicent, Septima and Irma in the courtyard and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. The office door was already open when they arrived, but as they were about to go in, the sound of a fierce argument stopped them in their tracks.

"Our best Hit Wizards are already fighting, I can't think of anything I can do alone that they can't manage."

"That's absolute poppycock and you know that perfectly well." Professor Merrythought's enraged shout made them jump, and Minerva exchanged a confused look with Poppy as they hid behind a statue opposite the door.

"Then what do you suggest I do, Galatea?" Professor Dumbledore's tired voice had an irritated tone to it, suggesting that whatever the two teachers were discussing was a very tender subject. "He fights with the Elder Wand, you must understand that I couldn't hope of achieving a definite victory over him!"

"You forget that I was once on the path to become an Auror, Albus, so there is very little I do not understand about the art of duelling." Replied Professor Merrythought coldly. "It is the power of the wizard that determines the victor, not the want that he uses, so I know for certain that you and he would be evenly matched in combat. It isn't that that keeps you here- you're just afraid of confronting him again after all these years!"

There was a pause for a moment, before Professor Dumbledore's voice said dangerously. "I am no coward, Galatea."

"Then go and face him, as you should have done ten years ago!" Professor Merrythought yelled. "Have you been reading the Prophet lately? The German Minister murdered yesterday, and now the Bulgarian Ministry has fallen!"

"Galatea, enough. I am aware of what is going on, but am clueless to how you want me to stop it singlehandedly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"Fine, Albus. Fine. But people are dying, innocent people, and you are the only person who can stop it." With her last scathing remark, Professor Merrythought stormed out of Professor Dumbledore's office and slammed the office door viciously. Minerva and Poppy ducked further behind the statue as she marched down the corridor in the direction of the Grand Staircase, muttering furiously under her breath.

Once Professor Merrythought was out of sight, Minerva dared to step out from behind their makeshift cover. "I wonder what they could have been fighting about?" Poppy wondered aloud, joining her in the doorway of Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Grindlewald, it must have been." Minerva said quietly. "Who else would have killed the German Minister?" Pushing her swirling thoughts out of mind, she tentatively knocked on the door and waited for Professor Dumbledore to call out a welcome before pushing it open.

"Ah, Miss McGonagall. Please do take a seat, you too Miss Pomfrey." Professor Dumbledore showed no signs of the quarrel that had taken place moments before, conjuring up two chairs with a flick of his want that Minerva and Poppy sat down in. "Now, let us get straight to the subject in hand. Where would you like me to begin?"

"I need to know everything." Minerva said immediately, desperate to know everything she could about her unknown family. "Who he was, what he was like, what he does now."

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Very well then, we'll start from the very beginning. His name is Matthew Ross, and he is three years older than your mother Isobel. They were both Gryffindors, and both played on the Quidditch team from an early age. Your mother was a Chaser, and later our Captain too, and Matthew played as Seeker."

"What was he like?" Minerva asked, eyes wide.

"A very kind fellow, kind and very intelligent much like yourself. He was also fiercely protective over your mother. From what I know, he was most upset when your mother left the magical world to marry your father. He was in the same year as Professor Kettleburn, and despite being in different Houses they were very good friends and remain so now."

A knock sounded on the door, and Dumbledore smiled. "The very person. Come in, Silvanus!"

The door swung open, and Professor Kettleburn hobbled into the office. "Apologies for being late, Professor Dumbledore, having some trouble with this leg." He shook his left leg, which had been amputated just above the knee after injuring it irreparably in the Christmas pantomime of their first year, and the wooden part rattled loudly.

"I asked Professor Kettleburn to join us, as he should know much more about Matthew then I will." Professor Dumbledore said to Minerva and Poppy, conjuring up another chair that Professor Kettleburn collapsed into gratefully. "I wasn't his Head of House at that point, that position belonged to the old Charms teacher who left the same year as Matthew graduated. Do you remember Briana, Professor Kettleburn?"

"Who could forget brilliant Professor Nedrick?" Professor Kettleburn chuckled, before clearing his throat and turning to Minerva. "Now, you want to know about Matthew Ross?"

Minerva nodded eagerly. "Everything you can tell me."

"I should have guessed you and he were related; you may have your father's hair, but there's something about you that reminds me a great deal of Matthew. We met on the Hogwarts Express and though it was a shame we were in different Houses we were good friends since then. Though very competitive too, we were both Seekers for our Quidditch Teams. Everyone thought he would go on to play professionally, he was so talented, but in the end he started a business of broomstick repairs! Even got a little shop in Diagon Alley!"

"Really?" Minerva butted in without thinking, "I've never seen it." But as she spoke, a memory suddenly flashing into her head. Every time she'd been to Diagon Alley, her mother had always ushered them quickly past one area in particular, including a little shop with a broomstick mounted on the overhang.

"Oh yes, 'Ross' Repairs' I think it's called." Professor Kettleburn nodded slowly, stroking his chin in thought. "Not as popular as Quality Quidditch Supplies but still very reputable. He doesn't stock the big brands like Comets or Cleansweeps, but he makes custom broomsticks for very reasonable prices. Made especially for the customer's requirements- it was him who built the broomstick I've used since my latest accident." He added with a laugh.

Minerva fell silent for a moment, a plan forming in her mind, only speaking again when Poppy gently tapped her arm. "Do you think we could contact him?" She asked.

"I should think so- write him a letter, and I'll send it along with my owl."

They didn't stay for much longer than that, racing back to Gryffindor Tower and up into their dormitory. "You've got an idea, I can tell." Poppy said breathlessly, clinging onto the post of Minerva's bed to keep herself upright. "What is it?"

"Ro." Minerva answered without looking up from her trunk as she rummaged for some spare parchment. "If anyone can fix her Silver Arrow, it'll be him. And if not, we can buy her a special one as a birthday present!"

"That's brilliant!" Poppy cried, joining Minerva on the floor to dig around in her own trunk.

Their letter was written within an hour, penned hastily but in what Minerva hoped to be a dignified introduction. She had a feeling that due to her mother's care in making sure Minerva never saw his shop in Diagon Alley, her uncle probably didn't even know that she existed, so wanted to make a good first impression. Satisfied with their work, they raced down to Professor Kettleburn's office and gave it to him so he could send it.

Although they didn't receive a reply nearly as quickly as Minerva had hoped, the thought that they might be able to get Ro a new broomstick provided the glimmer of hope they needed to see them through the ever worsening situation. Their exams came and went, and Minerva was fairly confident that she'd done suitably well considering the circumstances. The Wizarding Wireless was becoming grimmer and grimmer to listen to, with Ministries falling all across Europe and important figures being assassinated in cold blood.

The slow trickle of students who'd left earlier in the year returning made the Common Room feel a great deal less empty, but the cloud of solemness that accompanied them did nothing to lighten the mood. That changed for Minerva and the third year girls when they were woken up at dawn by a scraping at the window; Minerva clumsily jammed on her glasses before rolling out of bed to draw the curtains and investigate.

Any trace of tiredness was vanished instantly by the sight of a shabby-looking owl banging at the window to get in out of the rain. Poppy rushed over to help her and together they heaved the window open, and the soggy bird flew in to land in a heap on the floor. It shook out its feathers, before dropping the letter it had been carrying in its beak.

Minerva took the letter and squinted to read the addressee through the gloomy darkness. "Prof. S Kettleburn and Miss M McGonagall," she read aloud, before looking up to grin at Poppy. "He's replied!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_ _Woohoo long chapter again! There was one more section I wanted to squeeze in here, but now I actually think it will work better in the next chapter so all's well that ends well. On the subject of the next chapter, I'll warn you now that it's going to be very big and dramatic! I'm really looking forward to it :D_

 _Also, have you all noticed my new story picture? I spend a while over the weekend finding faceclaims for our main six and I've compiled a tumblr photoset of the faceclaims with the character's information. The ones I chose are: Eva Green for Minerva, Dakota Blue Richards for Ro, Rosalind Pike for Poppy, Michelle Dockery for Irma, Carey Mullingham for Septima and Ruby Bentall for Millicent. I'm pretty proud of them all, but suggestions are welcome if any of y'all have them._

 _The idea that Minerva would switch to Seeker to cover for Ro came from the books, when Ginny switched from Chaser to Seeker to play in Harry's place. Our Quidditch Team are all great, I've grown very fond of them all. Larry is such a sweetheart (he gets more important as the story progresses), Nancy is lovely too and Maggie Jordan is just as fun as her distant relative Lee. Unfortunately that was the last match featuring Fleamont and Alastor- I'm going to miss the four seventh years (Fleamont, Alastor, Augusta and Lester) once we reach September again._

 _Matthew Ross is a completely made up character, who won't have a great deal of long term importance but will play a significant part in the next few months of story. I always got the impression that Isobel McGonagall was very private about her own family, giving that she severed all contact with them when she married Robert. But due to the chapter length issues, you'll have to wait until next time to see what he has to say to his neice!_

 _Professor Briana Nedrick, former Charms teacher, is also created by yours truly, solely to fill the space of Gryffindor Head that needed to be filled because I can't imagine Dumbledore was promoted the moment he arrived at the school. She may appear at some point but if she does it will be a very minor role._

 _Professor Merrythought and Dumbledore's argument will make a little more sense in the next chapter, but I think I've made it fairly obvious what they're on about already. Prepare yourself for a lot of action related to that argument... that's all the hint I'm giving ;)_


	29. The Moment to Fight

_June 1945_

* * *

At Minerva's words, there was a rustle in the gloom as Irma, Septima and Millicent sat up too. Poppy snatched her wand from her bedside table and muttered "Lumos," under her breath, holding the light over the letter so Minerva could read.

" _Dear Minerva, I must say it was a very pleasant surprise to read your letter. I have often wondered what became of my sister after she eloped 16 years ago, so to hear she is well with three children is wonderful. I hope that one day soon I can meet you in person. As for your broomstick enquiry, I'm sorry to say that there is nothing even I can to for a broom hit by the Reductor Curse._ " Minerva's face fell for a moment, though slowly smiled upon reading the next words. _"However I would be most pleased to build her a new one. Send me her requirements and preferences and I'll see what I can do. Kindest regards, your Uncle Matthew._ "

"Requirements? What does he mean by that?" Poppy asked, grinning at the thought of presenting Ro with a brand new custom built broomstick.

Minerva pulled a scrap of parchment and her quill from her trunk and started to scribble down a list. "General body type, Quidditch position to determine the level of agility, stability and acceleration, what type of wood she'll want, that sort of thing."

Poppy nodded in an attempt to know what Minerva was talking about, then caught Millicent's equally confused look and burst out laughing. Minerva smiled good-naturedly at the pair of them, before continuing on "Well she's a Seeker, so that means she needs the best possible acceleration and good agility. Body type, hmm."

"I think we're about the same height," Poppy offered. When they had first arrived at Hogwarts, Poppy had undoubtedly been the smallest of their entire group, the harsh rationing in Muggle London combined with her regular bouts of illness as a child restricting how much she had grown. But now she was taller than short and sturdy Millicent, not much smaller than lanky Irma, and a very similar height to Ro who seemed to have hardly grown in the past few months. Minerva was still taller than all of them, but the height difference between the twins was closing rapidly.

Minerva nodded. "Small, but very fit and strong. Now's the tricky one, what sort of wood would she want?"

"Well what was her Silver Arrow made of?" Septima asked, hopping out of her bed and crossing the room to crouch down by Minerva's bed and pull out the bag containing what was left of Ro's broomstick. "I always loved this broom," she said sadly, "I'd have traded my Cleansweep for it without hesitation. Such a shame it can't be fixed."

"I know," Minerva said with a sad smile, "but it is what it is."

Millicent took the bag from Septima, sitting down on the bed as she examined the largest shard of wood she could find. "I'm pretty sure it's Silver Birch wood, it looks pale enough." She blushed slightly as everyone looked at her in surprise, "My dad used to work as a carpenter before the Muggle War started and he became a mechanic instead, so I know a lot about different types of wood."

"Do you think Ro would want a near replica of her old broom though?" Irma pointed out.

Poppy considered for a moment, before she remembered the immense pride Ro had always had in her unusual broom. "I think she would," she said with a nod.

Minerva made a noise of agreement, making another note on her list. She looked up at the clock on her wall and said with a start "I'll have to finish this later, we need to get dressed or we're going to miss breakfast."

But when they arrived in the Great Hall, Poppy immediately wished she could go back to the dormitory. She knew even before Minerva and Millicent received their copies of the Prophet that there was a new development in the Grindlewald war; at the Staff table Professor Dippet was wearing a concerned frown as he read the front page, and Professors Dumbledore and Merrythought either side of him were exchanging charged glares over his head. The sight of them cast Poppy's mind back to the argument that she and Minerva had overheard outside Professor Dumbledore's office three or so weeks ago- although she couldn't think how, there was clearly some connection between Professor Dumbledore and Grindlewald that Professor Merrythought wasn't happy about.

Millicent grabbed her paper from the claws of the delivery owl before it had even landed, tearing a great slash across the back page that Millicent laughed at before spreading the paper out over the table. "It's Grindlewald again- he's taken control of another two Ministries overnight."

Poppy shuddered. "Those poor people," she said quietly, looking down at the photograph covering most of the front page. It was the Russian Ministry of Magic, with people swarming out of the exits like ants and wizards on broomsticks firing spells at them from above.

"Thank goodness he hasn't come here yet," Septima sighed.

"Though who's to say he won't?" Irma added darkly, turning over the page of Minerva's paper to carry on reading the lengthy article. "Most of mainland Europe's fallen, we must fall somewhere on his target list."

Minerva nodded. "With most of our Aurors fighting in Europe it wouldn't be hard to bring the Ministry down. There's got to be something stopping him though, or he'd have taken advantage of that months ago."

"Apparently it's something to do with Dumbledore." Everyone looked up as a new voice joined the conversation; it was Larry Spencer-Moon, who slid into the seat next to Minerva. "I overheard a Floo conversation between father and the Head of the Department of International Cooperation- Ernestus Rabnott- over the summer. I didn't catch much, but I heard Rabnott saying that we're safe as long as Dumbledore is here."

Minerva clicked her fingers suddenly. "Yes, that would make sense," she said in a hushed voice, before quickly filling Larry in on Professor Merrythought and Professor Dumbledore's argument.

"Maybe Dumbledore's the only one who could stop Grindlewald?" Septima suggested, glancing around to make sure no-one was listening in on them. "So that's why Grindlewald hasn't tried to attack here, but also why he keeps winning in Europe."

Larry nodded. "Which means that the war can't end until Dumbledore goes to fight Grindlewald, but the moment he does we're in danger here at home."

With their morning's conversation fresh in mind, it came of great alarm to Poppy and Minerva when they arrived in Transfiguration that afternoon to find Dumbledore wasn't there. In his place was Professor Merrythought, who barely looked up from her pacing as the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs filed in and sat down.

Once everyone was seated, she finally looked up and addressed the class."Now, I'm sure you've all noticed that I'm not Professor Dumbledore. And no, this is not some obscure demonstration of Human Transfiguration, I am the real Professor Merrythought."

A wry smile played at her lips as everyone laughed, and Poppy spared a moment to be grateful that the Professor's sense of humour could still remain even in the bleak circumstances. "Professor Dumbledore has left the school and will not be returning for some time, possibly not until the very end of term. There is little I can tell you, but it should answer your most pressing question to say that he has gone to aid the Hit Wizards currently fighting Grindlewald's Army."

Poppy glanced at Minerva, but couldn't say anything in case Wilhelmina Grubbly heard from her seat on Poppy's other side. Upon returning to the Gryffindor Common Room after their last lesson they immediately told Millicent, Septima, Irma and Larry discreetly what Professor Merrythought had told them. In grave voices they all agreed that with Dumbledore gone, an invasion was likely to be imminent.

The next day began as normal, or as what everyone had begun to expect as normal. More bad news in the Daily Prophet, an announcement that Professor Bishop had been appointed Acting Gryffindor Head in Professor Dumbledore's absence and Professor Merrythought would be the Acting Deputy, then for the third years there were classes until lunchtime. This was as per usual for a Thursday, when they had to be up during the night for their Astronomy lesson, but what happened during those few hours of resting in the Common Room were far from ordinary.

Lyall, Hector, Stanley and Edwin were crouched behind the largest sofa playing Gobstones, while Poppy, Minerva, Irma, Septima and Millicent occupied the chairs that surrounded the gently smouldering fire. Millicent was dozing quietly, Septima had her star maps spread across the coffee table and was looking intently at the moving constellations, while Irma was reading to no-one's surprise. Minerva looked to be on the verge of falling asleep, when the sound of the portrait hole opening made everyone look around to see who it was.

It was Ro.

Poppy was out of her chair in an instant, crossing the Common Room to stand in front of Ro. She looked just the same as always; flyaway brown hair loose around her shoulders, the notch in her left ear that her grumpy owl had bitten before their second year, and ever-startling yellow eyes. But there was no mischievous brightness there, only a glum dullness that had Poppy's grin dropping before she'd even said hello.

"Hey," Minerva said softly, appearing to Poppy's left. Septima and Irma lingered behind them slightly with wary smiles on their faces, while Millicent was still asleep in her armchair.

"Hi," said Ro, her voice emotionless.

Unsettled by Ro's flatness, Poppy arranged her face into a caring expression as she asked "How are you feeling?"

Ro nodded blankly. "Fine," she said with a tiny smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Why don't you come and sit down." Minerva suggested, waiting for Ro to nod by placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her into the nearest chair.

As everyone sat down, Millicent dopily raised her head and fixed Ro with an unfocused gaze. "Oh hey Ro," she murmured before her head dropped back onto her arm. Ro smiled again with what might have been amusement, but said nothing in reply.

A charge silence seemed to spread out, no-one knowing quite what to say. Finally Septima broke it by saying cheerfully "Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup last month- Minerva played as Seeker and caught the Snitch before Diggory. She was amazing."

As Poppy had hoped, a light seemed to switch on in Ro's eyes. "That's great," she said, turning to look directly at Minerva, "who took your place?"

"Cleatus Weasley, but I don't think he'll take Fleamont's place next year," Minerva said, clearly taking advantage of Ro's sudden interest. "His aim isn't good enough. I heard Alastor suggesting to him that he became Keeper instead, which would be better for him."

Ro nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, that makes sense. There'll be a new Captain too, Nancy I think. She'll be the oldest on the team."

"Mhm," Minerva nodded.

Ro's fist suddenly clenched, and she shut her eyes tightly. Poppy glanced worriedly at Minerva before Ro's eyes snapped open and she asked in a shaky voice. "My broom. What happened to my broom?"

Poppy grimaced; this was the topic she had wanted to avoid for as long as possible after Ro's return. But there was no avoiding the question, and there was no way they could lie to her. "It- ahh- it was destroyed when it was hit by the Reductor Curse. We talked to Professor Aurelius and Mr Spinnet, and there's nothing that can be done. I'm really sorry Ro."

"S'alright." Ro shrugged, though Poppy knew she was far from alright. She said nothing more for a long while, simply staring into the fireplace, and Poppy thought best to leave her to her own thoughts after delivering such bad news.

After a short while, the portrait hole opened as the other year-groups started to return from their afternoon lessons. First were the sixth-years, none of whom knew Ro particularly well so didn't comment on her return before going straight back up to their dormitories. Nancy bid her a cheerful hello when the fifth-years arrived in the Common Room, as did Larry, Ernest, Maggie and Cleatus upon the entrance of the fourth-years.

"Welcome back, Ro!" A gruff voice made Poppy jump, and she looked around to see Alastor leaning over the back of the sofa. Fleamont and Augusta were with him, looking joyously down at Ro who smiled faintly in return.

"Has Minerva told you about our Quidditch victory?" Fleamont asked brightly, but continued on before Ro could respond. "Fantastic she was, but still not as good as you. You did give me a scare when y-"

"Fleamont!" Augusta snapped, jabbing his shoulder with her elbow. "Give her some space, she's only just got back. It's lovely to see you though Ro." She smiled as she dragged Alastor and Fleamont away towards the other side of the Common Room, Lester gazing for a moment at Augusta in admiration before following his classmates.

Things got a little more emotional when the first years came back from their Herbology lesson. The four boys arrived through the portrait hole together as per usual, grinning madly as they sauntered across the Common Room. Poppy watched with trepidation as they approached the seats where the third year girls were sat, and couldn't restrain her tiny groan when Emery caught sight of Ro sat between her and Minerva.

At a timely word from Larry, the other three joined he, Maggie and Cleatus in their game of Exploding Snap as Emery dropped his books and rushed over to Ro. She flinched as Emery all but flung himself into his cousin's lap, before slowly wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed there like that until it was time to go down for dinner, with Emery shaking slightly as he snagged his fingers into Ro's cardigan and tears trickling down Ro's face as she stared listlessly into the fire.

As the Common Room started to clear with people leaving for the Great Hall, Emery finally let go of Ro and rejoined his classmates. Poppy saw Minerva nod appreciatively at Malcolm as he gave Emery a comforting pat on the shoulder, Emery giving him a watery grin in response. They waited until the Common Room was empty before Poppy asked Ro "Are you ready to go down?"

Ro nodded, so Poppy put an arm around her shoulders and guided her out of the portrait hole with Minerva staying close on her other side. At the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall, the six girls arranged themselves so that Ro was sat between Minerva and Poppy with her back to the rest of the Hall; everyone had heard about her accident so there were plenty of people staring at her as they ate their dinner. To Poppy's relief Ro remained completely oblivious, eating miniscule amounts with very little enthusiasm and not joining in with everyone else's quiet conversation.

Once they had all finished eating they returned to the Common Room, sitting back down around the fireplace while they waited for the sun to set. Ro barely spoke at all, only answering any direct questions with short and bluntly-spoken answers. When the time came for them to go up to the Astronomy Tower, Poppy glanced over at Ro and had to restrain a sigh. There were noticeable bags under her eyes and she looked about to fall asleep.

Poppy tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked over at her with a start. "Go to bed," Poppy murmured quietly, "You look exhausted. Professor Callisto won't mind you missing your first lesson back."

Ro nodded, got to her feet, and trailed up the stairs to their dormitory. "I'm worried about her," Poppy said, gathering her books and homework together and checking she'd remembered to pack her telescope. "She's not herself at all."

"You're surprised?" Irma asked, not unkindly. "She's been orphaned, seriously injured and lost her most prized possession."

Poppy sighed in agreement as they left the Common Room, walking along the seventh floor corridor until they reached the alcove where the stairs to the Astronomy Tower began. They were out of breath by the time they reached the top of the steep staircase, before squeezing through the crowded tower to get to their seats. Since the subject could only be taught at night and there were only seven nights in the week, the entire year had to be taught together rather than in two groups of two Houses like every other subject.

Professor Callisto gave them a moment to regain their breath and get out their telescopes, before starting to call out the register. She didn't make a fuss over Ro's absence, nodding understandingly when Minerva explained where she was even though a few people started muttering from the back of the classroom. Poppy didn't need to turn around to know the culprits were Druella Rosier, Abraxas Malfoy, Apollyon Pringle and Owle Bullock, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of knowing they'd bothered her. They didn't get to talk long though before Professor Callisto called for quiet, handing out some empty star charts and instructing them to spend the lesson filling it out.

Shortly after midnight, with most of her star chart completed, Poppy noticed a light in the distant sky that she hadn't noticed before. After a minute or so it was joined by several other lights, growing steadily closer. Leaning away from her telescope, she put up her hand and called to Professor Callisto who was marking their homework essays at her desk. "Professor Callisto? There are some stars in the sky that I've never seen before."

"I've seen it too." Millicent said, her eyes wide, and several other people nodded in agreement.

Professor Callisto frowned, taking her own telescope from her desk and turning it in the direction that Poppy's was pointing in. She was quiet for a few minutes before rising slowly and slightly hesitantly. "I think," she started, but was interrupted with the sound of remote shouting. The entire class rose from their desks and crowded around the edge of the tower where Professor Callisto's desk was, peering over the battlements to see what was going on.

"It sounds like it's coming from Hogsmeade," Robert Fawley suggested loudly. As Poppy watched a few of the sky-borne lights broke away from the rest of the group and dropped down into Hogsmeade. Suddenly there were flashes of light erupting from the village, as if several duels had suddenly begun.

"Everybody below the battlements!" Professor Callisto shouted and they all ducked, just as a jet of flame shot through the air towards them and set the nearest desk alight. Professor Callisto put the fire out with a swish of her wand, clutching her shoulder where cloth and flesh had been burned away. Three more similar spells were shooting towards them, but Professor Callisto wordlessly called up a Shield Charm and they dissolved into nothing.

Several people screamed, and Poppy could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "What's happening?" Helen Lambert cried, and Poppy shrieked as she felt a hand grab her arm.

It was Septima, and she looked between her, Minerva, Millicent and Irma with a dark look on her face. "Grindlewald," she mouthed, and Poppy's stomach dropped. Larry had been right- with Dumbledore gone they were suddenly vulnerable.

Hissing painfully each time she moved her arm, Professor Callisto started frantically duelling the wizard on the nearest broomstick who was hovering about five feet above the Astronomy Tower. Peering through the battlements Poppy could see dozens more of Grindlewald's soldiers surrounding the castle. There were several trying to blast down the main door, one smashing a window of what she guessed to be the fifth floor and another three heading in the direction of Ravenclaw Tower. The lone figure of Professor Olwen appeared at the window of the North Tower and started firing at the nearest soldier, but was knocked back when part of the Tower wall was blasted inwards. Poppy cringed in horror when four or five solders started attacking Gryffindor Tower, but the sight of spells being shot back reassured her that her beloved Housemates weren't going to take it lying down.

Professor Callisto's opponent was sent careering out of sight, and she paused momentarily to glance down at her scorched shoulder before turning to the third years crouched against the battlements. "Take your wands, get down the stairs and back into the castle!" she gasped out, waving them away wildly.

They didn't need asking twice, jumping to their feet and sprinting for the stairwell. Poppy clung to the rope banister as she ran as fast as she could down the steep, winding staircase, her breath hitching every time she almost slipped in her haste. She was nearly knocked flying by Apollyon shoving his way through the throng with Druella, Abraxas and Owle following close behind, gritting her teeth as the robe burned her palm from gripping it so hard. Septima wasn't so lucky, tumbling down the stone steps with several sickening thuds before landing hard on her side.

Millicent raced ahead of everyone else, nearly slipping herself several times in her haste to get to Septima. Poppy let the rest of the class go ahead of her before running down the rest of the stairs with Minerva and Irma. Septima was curled up on the ground, clutching one knee while blood ran from a wide gash on her forehead.

"Septima," Irma said, crouching beside her twin and shaking her shoulder gently, "you need to get up, we can't stay here."

"I can't!" Septima sobbed, shaking her head as agonised tears streamed down her face.

Minerva and Irma each put their hands underneath one of Septima's arms and carefully hauled her to stand. Poppy took one look at her knee and knew instantly that there was no way she could walk; from the awkward angle her lower leg was hanging at it looked to be dislocated. "You'll have to help her," she said, taking her wand from her coat pocket and muttering "Ferula" to conjure up a splint and bandage.

Millicent's voice was shaky when she spoke. "Right, but where are we going?"

It was a god question, Poppy thought. There were students swarming everywhere, clad in nightgowns and pyjamas though most were still carrying their wands. The majority of them seemed to be travelling in one direction though, so Poppy and Millicent led the way while Minerva and Irma all but carried Septima behind them. They stopped when they reached a crowd of people blocking the corridor; Poppy stood on tiptoes and saw Professor Merrythought in her navy dressing gown pacing in front of an empty wall with her eyes closed and mouthing something that Poppy couldn't make out. Suddenly a door seemed to appear out of nowhere, which Professor Merrythought pushed open and the students poured into.

"What is it?" Poppy asked aloud as they entered the room, finding an empty space and carefully lowering Septima to the ground where she huddled back up around her knee.

"It's called the Room of Requirement." Augusta said, appearing behind Poppy. Half of her dressing gown sleeve was hanging off but otherwise she looked to be unharmed, unlike Alastor by her side who had a mighty slice across one cheek. "It can transform into whatever the user wants, in this case a safe place where we can hide from Grindlewald and his cronies."

Professor Merrythought's magically magnified voice rose above the frightened voices. "Seventh Year Prefects, take a roll call of your House and report to your Head of House. With the exception of the third years, all of whom are present, we only have Gryffindor and Ravenclaw here as Hufflepuff and Slytherin are trapped on the ground floor. As soon as I know we aren't missing anyone we shouldn't be, a fighting party will be sent down to rescue them."

"Already done that," Augusta said promptly, "I knew you wouldn't be in your dormitory since you had Astronomy but I counted everyone else out of the Tower. Lyall, Hector, Stanley, Edwin, you, Minerva and Ro make a complete House."

Poppy nodded in acknowledgement, but looked down in confusion at Minerva's horrified intake of breath. Minerva stumbled to her feet as she said slowly, "But Ro wasn't in Astronomy with us."

Icy hands seemed to constrict around Poppy's chest, as the realisation dawned on her. "Then Ro's still in Gryffindor Tower."

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
I swear these chapters just keep getting longer! But there is so much I like about this one- quite a lot of description of what the girls look like (unintentional but it flowed), we see much more how the accident has affected Ro, and the relationship she has with her cousin and closest friends. There's also some more Larry (whom I am very attached too) and no shortage of Professor Merrythought's awesomeness (which is always a good thing)._

 _I know it's specified that Grindlewald didn't attack Britain because he was afraid of Dumbledore, but since Dumbledore left Britain to take their personal duel to him it seemed perfectly plausible to me for him to dispatch his forces to Britain. The two targets would be London and the Ministry (to try and fell the Ministry and to wreck havoc in the Muggle city), and Hogwarts (because it' something that Dumbledore loves and the second powerful magical place). I totally wasn't looking for a reason to write a Battle of Hogwarts style fight sequence, not at all... ;) But it is going to be pretty awesome and action packed and I've actually already started writing the next chapter which shows how excited I am._

 _The reason that Hufflepuff and Slytherin are separated from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw is because of the position of their Common Rooms. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Astronomy are the tallest towers in the castle and accessed from the seventh floor so all their inhabitants would be grouped together, and since Hufflepuff basement and Slytherin dungeon are on the ground floor anything between these floors would stop them from meeting up. I chose the Room of Requirement for their safehouse because it just seemed logical, like it was for the DA members during the Carrows' reign of terror._

 _In case anyone needs a reminder of who our background teachers are, Professor Bishop teaches Muggle Studies and Professor Olwen teaches Divination. They've both been mentioned before (Olwen was injured in the first year pantomime and Bishop's husband was killed in the Ministry bombing) but have been very background. Professor Callisto has definitely become un-background for at least this chapter, she's a great dueller as well as the Astronomy Professor. I think all the teachers, background or not, will get a little big of limelight during the battle that's just commenced._

 _Chapter 30 (!) should be here by the end of the week- I won't keep you all in suspence any more than necessary!_


	30. The War outside our Door

_June 1945_

* * *

"We have to go and get her," Minerva said, her voice faltering as she spoke.

Augusta had an expression of despair on her face, but she nodded all the same. "You don't think she'd have heard the blasts and run out after everyone else evacuated?"

Poppy shook her head, looking remarkably calm though Minerva could see the fear in her eyes. "She can sleep through anything; she probably hasn't even woken up."

"Can I have quiet to assign everyone their roles?" Professor Merrythought called from the centre of the Room. "The NEWT Defence students make up two fighting units that clear the path between here and either the Hufflepuff or Slytherin Common Room, then spread out and secure the ground floor entrances. The rest of the seventh and sixth years will accompany them to evacuate the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, to protect the younger students. Fifth, fourth and third years will be selected on an individual basis for other missions. No-one else is to leave the Room of Requirement on any circumstances unless when you have been explicitly instructed to, is that clear?"

There were a few nods from around the Room, the seventh and sixth years standing up to be given further instructions. "The Hufflepuff Rescue Party will be lead by Professor Aurelius and consist of Augusta Brown, Alastor Moody, Filius Flitwick, Bertha Maurice, Daniel Prewett, Hiro Shafiq and Cecil Fawley. The Slytherin Rescue Party will be lead by Professor Epsilon and consist of Rutna Patil, Fleamont Potter, Lester Longbottom, Brutus Scrimegeour, Euphemia Lovegood, Damien Inglebee and Ashley Sanders. Everyone else in seventh and sixth years, Gryffindors will go to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws will go to Slytherin. Line up behind your party leaders and wait for my signal before you depart."

People started moving in all directions, so Augusta had to practically drag Minerva and Poppy to get to Professor Merrythought who was busy briefing Professors Aurelius and Epsilon. "Edith, take your party into the Entrance Hall, and Walter you'll secure the other entrances on the ground floor. Tell Horace and Herbert to bring their entire Houses up here, NEWT students included, and I'll assign them roles once the roll call is taken and we know we've got everyone. I've told Armando to stay in his office, he's too frail to duel these days, and once we've got all the first years together I'm going to send them to him with an escort where we can Floo them to a safer place. If all goes well we'll get the second years down there too. What's the matter Augusta?"

"We're missing a third year, Professor, I didn't think she was still in the Tower so didn't evacuate her. It's Rolanda Hooch."

Professor Merrythought closed her eyes momentarily in a silent groan. "That's all I need. I can't spare you from Professor Aurelius' party, Augusta, so I'll have to send someone else but I will make sure she gets back here. Off you go now with Professor Aurelius."

Augusta patted Minerva's shoulder before running off to join her allocated party. "Minerva, pick three people to take with you and get there and back as soon as possible without getting mixed up in the fighting." Professor Merrythought instructed, "Poppy, I want you for a special mission. I'm sending the most medically aware students to the Hospital Wing to help Madame Quinine bring back as many emergency supplies here as she can. Will you do that for me?" Poppy nodded determinedly and Professor Merrythought smiled at her. "Good girl. Now, did you two see anything you think we'll need to know of from the Astronomy Tower?"

"The Auror Guard are already fighting more of Grindlewald's soldiers in Hogsmeade," Minerva started, racking her brains. "I think Professor Olwen's unconscious in the North Tower, I didn't see her get up after the wall was knocked in. And Professor Callisto's still fighting at the top of the Astronomy Tower, but she's injured."

"I'll send patrols up there to get them as soon as I can." Professor Merrythought nodded, "Poppy, wait here while I gather the rest of your special patrol. Minerva, go quickly to get Rolanda and report back to me as soon as you return. Best of luck, dear."

Professor Merrythought left them then to continue calling out orders, and Poppy threw her arms around Minerva in a brief hug before she ran back to where Irma and Millicent were on the floor with Septima. "What did the Professor say?" Irma asked as she came within earshot.

"Poppy's going up to the Hospital Wing with a special patrol to gather medical supplies. I've got to take three people with me to Gryffindor Tower and bring Ro back." Minerva explained, looking pitifully at Septima who hadn't moved since Minerva last saw her. "I think Millicent should stay with Septima, but would you mind coming?"

"Of course," Irma said immediately, and Minerva's shoulders sagged in relief. "Who else?"

"We are," a voice behind her made Minerva turn around to see Larry and Nancy stood there. "There's no way you're going back up there without us," Nancy continued before Minerva could say anything, "Half the Tower's falling down and you'll need our help." Nancy's words made Minerva's throat clench up; her voice failed her so she just nodded and the four of them set off at a run towards the door.

The corridor was clear when they left the Room of Requirement, the only sign of the battle raging around them was the shouts echoing up from the lower floors. The Fat Lady had fled her portrait, but it was already ajar and there was smoke billowing out from the Common Room.

"Merlin's Beard," Minerva heard Nancy mutter under her breath as they flung back the empty portrait to reveal the Common Room filled with choking smoke. The Gryffindor banner that hung from the ceiling was ablaze, as were the curtains flapping in the wind around the smashed window. The staircase to the boys' dormitories had been completely destroyed, but there was enough left of the girls' staircase for them to be just about useful.

"You two get Ro, we'll put out the Common Room," Nancy pushed Minerva and Ro towards the girls' staircase before shouting "Aqua Eructo!" and shooting a powerful jet of water from her wand. Larry copied her, and together they started to douse the flaming upholstery as Minerva and Irma carefully climbed the stairs. When Minerva pushed the door open, the first thing she saw were the dust littering the floor where the tower had taken a direct hit and the walls shaken apart. Her heart filled with dread until Irma shook her arm and pointed to a shape of a person huddled below one of the beds.

"Ro?" Minerva asked hesitantly, and the person looked up at her before scrabbling to her feet and sprinting towards her. She practically flung herself into Minerva's arms, nearly knocking them both backwards onto the landing.

"I thought you weren't coming back," Ro sobbed, "I thought you'd left me!"

Minerva attempted to soothe her by comfortingly patting her back, but it did little to calm the violent shivers that racked her frame. "We'd never leave you," Minerva said softly, "we're here to rescue you; me and Irma and Larry and Nancy. It's all going to be fine."

A shout of "Have you got her?" echoed from the Common Room, reminding Minerva that they weren't out of danger yet. Irma had run back into the dormitory and emerged from under Poppy's bed with Godric the puffskein cradled in her arms, and Minerva almost laughed at his happy humming despite their dire situation.

"We need to go," Minerva said to Ro, "make sure you've got your wand, you might end up needing it." Ro nodded, releasing Minerva from her vice-like grip to pick up her wand before they all ran back down the stairs. Larry and Nancy had managed to put out the fires, though the damage it had caused would take a little longer to fully repair. A nod from Nancy and they were running back out into the corridor, heading towards the Room of Requirement and the safe haven that lay within.

A deafening boom made Minerva yell in alarm, the five of them knocked backwards by the force of the floor being blasted upwards mere feet in front of them. She lay dazed on the ground for a moment before coming to her senses and surveying the damage to the corridor. There was no way they'd be able to get across now; there was a gaping hole in the floor through which she could see Professor Bishop, Mr Spinnet and Filch clashing with a group of Grindlewald's soldiers.

"What now?" Nancy shouted, wiping blood away from a graze on her chin.

After a moment's pause, Larry was on his feet and looking around intently. "I know another way," he announced, rushing over to the nearest statue and hitting it twice with his wand. The statue seemed to shuffle forwards slightly, revealing a gap in the stonework and a downward-leading spiral staircase.

They wasted no time in rushing into the secret staircase, treading carefully to avoid a repeat of what happened to Septima. "How in Merlin's name did you know about this?" Nancy asked in wonderment, "and where are we going to be popping out?"

"My best friends are Cleatus Weasley and Maggie Jordan, does that answer the question?" Larry grinned, and Minerva had to agree with his point. "And this only leads straight down to the ground floor, there aren't any other exits before then. We'll have to run into the Entrance Hall and use the grand staircase to get back to the seventh floor on the other side of that hole."

Minerva nearly stopped still as she remembered Professor Merrythought's instructions to Professor Aurelius. "But that means we'll be right in the middle of the fighting," she thought aloud, glancing desperately up at the doorway above them.

"Then we'll have to duel our way out," Nancy said, "better that than trying to leap a hole wider than you are tall, don't you think?"

It felt like they'd been running for an age by the time they emerged on the ground floor of the castle. As they rolled out from behind a tapestry they were greeted by Slytherin House sprinting down the corridor in the direction of the Entrance Hall, lead by a puffing Professor Slughorn and flanked with a few older Ravenclaws. The sounds of battle echoed from further down the corridor, so Minerva, Irma, Ro, Larry and Nancy didn't hang about under their tapestry before following them.

The Entrance Hall was in absolute carnage. Bits of stone and wood littered the floor, and a loud smashing sound signalled the destruction of the House Point Hourglasses which added hundreds of tiny sapphires, rubies, emeralds and topaz gems to the mess. Professor Aurelius' battle party were fighting fiercely to try and push Grindlewald's soldiers back out of the door, but as Minerva watched they were slowly being forced back towards the grand staircase. At Professor Slughorn's call, the younger Slytherins started to doge between the fighters to reach the staircase while the older students drew their wands and jumped into the fray.

"Come on!" Nancy shouted, her wand in her hand as she broke away from the wall and followed the fleeing Slytherins through the Entrance Hall.

Minerva pushed Ro ahead of her before hurtling after Nancy, ducking under the flying spells and making sure not to run headlong into anyone. A Stunner heading straight for them caught her attention, but she flicked her wand and hollered "Protego!" before it could hit anyone. The red flash dissolved into nothing, and Minerva wasted a second to realise with triumph that she'd used a defensive spell properly for the first time.

As Minerva turned to carry on towards the staircase, her heart stopped momentarily upon discovering one of Grindlewald's soldiers stood in her way. "Expelliarmus!" she shouted, but he reflected the spell back at her and she only just pulled up her Shield Charm in time. After two failed attempts at Stunning him she decided to try something more inventive, and grinned as her perfectly aimed Jelly-Legs Jinx sent him stumbling back with a look of faint surprise on his face. He slumped to the floor as Ro Stunned him from behind, and they shared a moment of elation at their victory before ducking suddenly as bright white spell flashed over their heads.

The offending soldier was quickly floored by Alastor Moody, who looked absolutely terrifying as he then started to duel two soldiers at once. The only other Hogwarts fighters who Minerva could recognise nearby were Augusta and Filius Flitwick, who were both absolutely thrashing their opponents despite Grindlewald's soldier towering over the tiny yet ferocious Filius. Minerva and Ro had lost sight of Irma, Larry and Nancy in the chaos, so with a shared glance of determination they jumped to their feet and started to take on Alastor's second opponent together. It was much easier fighting with a friend to protect your back than it had been alone, so it wasn't long before Ro managed to disarm him with a neat flick of her wand and Minerva knocked him unconscious with a Stunner seconds later.

The soldier Alastor was still fighting looked at his fallen comrade with an enraged expression, and made the mistake of turning his back on Alastor to aim his wand at Minerva and Ro. He glowed orange for a second before shrinking down and changing into a ferret before Minerva's astonished eyes. Alastor barked with laughter as the ferret looked at itself and ran away between the other duellers.

"Alastor! You've been accepted for Auror Training and the best thing you can think of is turning him into a ferret!" Augusta shrieked with exasperation without looking away from her rival.

"Thought it might lighten the situation a bit!" Alastor shouted back, smirking at the ferret's retreating form before turning around to throw a Stunner at the soldier that Minerva hadn't even noticed sneaking up behind her and Ro. "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared as they both backed hastily away from the duel that erupted between them.

Surrounded in all directions by individual fights, Minerva looked frantically around for a gap they could squeeze through in order to escape to the stairs. She was about to make a move between two duelling pairs when she recognised one of the duellers and realised with a jolt that it was Irma. Having shared her Defence lessons with the Ravenclaws for the past three years Minerva had never seen Irma duel, so she watched with wonderment at the way Irma twisted and turned with almost a dance-like grace as she fired spells at her adversary with Godric still tucked under her left arm. Her concentration wavered as her gaze flickered to Minerva and Ro for a split second, allowing Grindlewald's soldier to shoot a jinx at her that she didn't have time to dodge. She was thrown backwards with a loud bang, though seemed only dazed rather than Stunned as she kept hold of Godric and wobbled to her feet only seconds later.

As Grindlewald's soldier aimed at Irma with a curse forming on his lips, Ro brandished her own wand and shouted an incantation that Minerva had never heard before or seen in any of their spell books. The soldier clamped his hands around his nose for a moment as his eyes bulged, then gave a panicked shout as several large black bats flew out from his nostrils. Minerva and Ro took advantage of his predicament to take hold of Irma's arms and drag her away from the thick of the fighting, crouching behind a thick stone pillar in order to get a moment to catch their breath.

"Alright Irma?" asked Ro, her chest heaving.

Irma nodded, though when she touched the back of her head there was blood on her hand from her collision with the ground. "Fine, fine. What was that last spell?"

"Bat-Bogey Hex," Ro beamed, "Invented by one of Erika's friends just after they left school. It's her favourite spell to use against Kurtis when he gets too bossy."

They all covered their heads as the pillar exploded upon impact with a Reductor Curse, waiting a moment before dodging around the heap of rubble and continuing on towards the staircase. Irma threw a couple of Knockback jinxes behind them once they'd reached the marble steps and climbed to the first floor, using the banister as a barrier they could hide behind while trying to figure out where in Merlin's name Larry and Nancy had got to.

A swish of blue fabric in the corner of Minerva's eye made her turn around to see Professor Merrythought standing behind them. Her iron grey hair flew around her shoulders and she was bleeding from a slash on her neck, but it somehow only served to make her look more intimidating. She held her want aloft and said commandingly "Piertotum Locomotor!"

The statues and suits of armour around the Entrance Hall seemed to stir, then as one they jumped down from their plinths to land with a crash. Brandishing a whole range of weapons from swords to truncheons, it looked like an army made of stone and steel had come to help Hogwarts chase out their invaders.

"Hogwarts is threatened!" Professor Merrythought shouted over the clamour of the battle, "Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!"

As the last words left her mouth, the statues and suits of armour sprung into action. Rather than join in the battle in the Entrance Hall, which had turned in Hogwarts' favour since the arrival of the Slytherin students, they ran through the doorway into the Ground Floor corridor where Minerva had heard Professor Epsilon's battle party fighting.

"I have got to try that spell one day," Minerva whispered, causing Ro and Irma to giggle next to her.

"Minerva, what in Merlin's name are you three doing here? You were meant to be back in the Room of Requirement!" Professor Merrythought asked, crouching down beside them.

"We couldn't get back through the seventh floor corridor, there was a hole blasted in the floor." Minerva explained as quickly as she could. "We found a secret passage that led us down here, so we were going to use the grand staircase to get back up."

Professor Merrythought shook her head. "You can't, there aren't any stairs between the second and third floors anymore. That's why we're down here, we were trying to get down to the second floor when the staircase was hit so I had to bring them another way."

"Them?" asked Ro in confusion, and Professor Merrythought motioned with her handless wrist to the other side of the grand staircase. Hiding behind the banister just like they were doing was the entirety of the first year students, the fifth year prefects sat around them with their wands raised. Minerva remembered that Professor Merrythought had wanted to take the first years to safety in the Headmaster's office, which as far as she recalled was accessed via the second floor of the castle. To her surprise she recognised Larry and Nancy sitting with the fifth years; they must have reached the staircase before Minerva, Ro and Irma escaped from the thick of the battle.

"I need to get them to Professor Dippet's office," Professor Merrythought said, confirming Minerva's thoughts. "If you three join my escort, then we'll all go back to the Room of Requirement together."

Unable to think of any better ideas, Minerva nodded and stood alongside Irma and Ro. Professor Merrythought beckoned the first years towards them, and they hurriedly ran across the staircase with the fifth year escort surrounding them like a protective circle. Minerva, Ro and Irma slipped in between Nancy and Larry, before Professor Merrythought called out a command and as a single unit they ran for the stairs leading to the second floor.

There were duels already going on when they arrived in the second floor corridor, their protective formation broken up as they were forced to dodge through the fighters down the path that Professor Merrythought carved for them. The defenders consisted of Professor Bishop, Mr Spinnet and Filch who Minerva had seen on the sixth floor what felt like hours ago, and Professor Beery leading a group of Hufflepuff fighters, the numbers matching fairly evenly with those of the Grindlewald soldiers fighting them. Minerva had no time to work out which side were winning and which side weren't, too preoccupied in making sure they didn't lose any first years in the chaos that surrounded them.

"NO! GARETH!" Professor Bishop's terrible scream pierced the air, and Minerva's head whipped around to see Mr Spinnet lying motionless on the floor while glowing an eerie bright green colour. One look at Larry's stricken face told Minerva that he'd seen exactly what had happened, so Minerva gently took hold of his hand to make sure he kept moving despite his shock.

Another green spell flew high over their heads and hit a window, which it bounced off of and shot straight towards a few of the first years. Minerva forgot to breath for a moment when she realised it was Malcolm, Emery, Winston and Atticus, and without thinking she propelled herself towards them with her hands outstretched. She dimly heard Ro screaming her cousin's name and Larry's frightened shout, the noise making the four boys look up at the ominous curse heading fast in their direction. Malcolm, Emery and Atticus dove out of the way while Winston just stopped and sheltered his neck with his arms; as Minerva leaped forwards to push him out of the way she closed her eyes and prepared for the world to end.

Except for her it didn't, but a howl of grief and fear from somewhere behind her told Minerva that it had for someone else. "MARIA NO!" wailed a voice she recognised as Imogen Farley's, and hauled Winston to his feet before rushing over to see Imogen frantically shaking the unmoving form of her friend while sobbing hysterically.

"You can't save her now," said Irma in a small voice, trying to pull Imogen away from Maria.

'That curse kills?' Minerva thought with horror, ice spreading through her chest as she realized that the young girl was dead but it could have been her or Winston instead just as easily.

Larry was suddenly at her side, making sure Winston was unhurt before looking Minerva in the eye and taking her hand again. "You saved his life," he said in a deeply shaken voice, "Thank you."

Minerva was about to reply before Professor Merrythought's enraged shout startled her; shot several Stunners in quick succession out of her wand and the soldier responsible for Maria's death didn't get up again. "Keep moving!" she yelled at the first years and their escort- they'd all stopped uncertainly when Maria had fallen.

"We're not saved yet," Ro said, grabbing Minerva's shoulder and pulling her into motion.

Thankfully they left the worst of the duelling behind as they ran the rest of the way to Professor Dippet's office, though the badly damaged gargoyle guarding the door made it obvious that the fighting had been there previously. Professor Dippet was waiting outside his door, dressed in blue and white pyjamas and a nightcap that reminded Minerva of a character in her mother's Nursery Rhyme book.

"Galatea, the Ministry's under attack!" Professor Dippet cried the moment he saw Professor Merrythought. "Internally and externally, they used the Floo network get from here to the Atrium!"

Professor Merrythought groaned, wiping away the blood pooling around her collarbone with a wince as her hand brushed the long wound. "There goes that plan then," she laughed dryly, "I'll leave them with you anyway, they'll be better off somewhere quiet away from the action. When the castle's clear I'll send word that all's safe."

As Professor Dippet started shepherding the scared first years into his office, Professor Merrythought turned to the escort and said "Back to the Room of Requirement then you lot." She swept down the corridor, not back to the Grand Staircase but to what Minerva assumed was another secret passage, beckoning for them to follow her.

Still holding onto Larry's hand and gripping the handle of her wand tight in the other, Minerva ran on weary legs until they reached a painting that swung forward when Professor Merrythought spoke a password to reveal a hidden staircase. They emerged on the sixth floor not far from the hole in the ceiling that had made their lengthy detour necessary, and after only one flight of stairs they finally arrived back in the Room of Requirement.

Minerva's eyes were drawn immediately to the blond haired figure that was Poppy, who was in the centre of the Room with Madame Quinine and the rest of her medical volunteers. Professor Olwen lay unconscious on a stretcher with a second year watching over her, and Professor Callisto was sat down looking very worse for wear with blood dribbling from several deep gashes. Poppy herself was tending to a Hufflepuff student with a long wound down one arm, and Minerva felt a rush of pride when the wound closed over and the bleeding stopped.

Hearing her name called made Minerva look away to see Millicent waving at them. Larry and Nancy left them to sit with Maggie and Cleatus, while Minerva, Irma and Ro joined Millicent and Septima. Her knee had been put back into place though was still secured by a splint, and there was a bandage wrapped around the gash on her head. She was dozing on Millicent's shoulder, but looked up sleepily when they sat down.

"What happened to you three?" Millicent asked, glancing at her watch. "You were gone for over an hour!"

"A lot," Irma said with a wry smile. She nudged Ro's arm as she added "but we've got what we set out for."

Ro laughed, every trace of her earlier distance gone. She yawned widely, reminding Minerva that if she had been tired earlier she was probably absolutely exhausted by now, and lay down with her head on Minerva's knee.

"Hi," said a voice, and they all glanced up to see Poppy smiling down at them.

Minerva went to say a hello in return, but then caught sight of the deep crimson stains all over her hands and the apron she was wearing. "Poppy, your hands." Irma said faintly, clearly sharing in Minerva's concerns.

Poppy glanced down with her hands with a look of surprise as if she hadn't noticed how bloodied they were before. "It's not my blood," she said dismissively, wiping them on her apron. She sat down beside Minerva and motioned to the now sleeping Ro, asking "Is she alright?"

"Actually, yes." Minerva nodded. "She was upset while we were in the Tower, but joined in with the duelling very eagerly. Could you take a look at Irma's head though?"

Poppy nodded tiredly, shuffling over to Irma and peering through her blood-slicked hair at the wound on her scalp that was still slowly oozing with blood. She drew a bottle labelled 'Dittany' from her apron pocked and dribbled on a few drops of the potion, nodding satisfactorily as gradually stopped bleeding.

"Hey Poppy, does this remind you of sheltering from the Blitz in those Anderson shelters?" Millicent asked.

Poppy laughed, stoppering her bottle and placing it down beside her. Godric started humming excitedly upon seeing Poppy, who was still his favourite human, and bounced onto her lap to settle down quite contently in her bloodied apron. "Yes I suppose it is. But living in London we sheltered in the Underground Stations, and people were always singing those wartime songs. I loved those old songs, they seemed to make people feel more hopeful."

Millicent sat up a little straighter, taking care not to knock Septima's head off her shoulder. "Then let's give it a go," she suggested before starting to quietly sing " _There'll be bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover, tomorrow, just you wait and see."_

 _"There'll be love and laughter, and peace ever after."_ Poppy joined in, a childlike grin on her face. There were people all over the Room lifting their leads and looking over in their direction, most with expressions of surprise and nostalgic smiles. _"Tomorrow, when the world is free."_

" _The shepherds will tend their sheep, the valley will bloom again,"_ Minerva didn't know the words well enough to join in, though remembered the tune and hummed along as Poppy and Millicent sang. " _And Jimmy will go to sleep in his own little room again."_ More voices joined theirs, Muggleborns who recognised the songs of peace that they'd sung before coming to Hogwarts.

" _There'll be bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover, tomorrow, just you wait and see."_

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _If anyone else is wondering what on earth happened to my usual 3000 word chapter limit, I have no idea either. 4800 words exactly this one is, I can't quite believe it._

 _But I didn't want to split the chapter in two, as it does flow very nicely and I wanted to get most of the battle in. I had a lot of fun writing this as you can probably tell. It would take an age to write down all the little things I most like about it so I'll just list two: Minerva loving the Piertotum Locomotor spell (that we all know she will use one day) and Alastor turning one of the soldiers into a ferret (I'm guessing he quite liked that spell). Writing Irma, Ro and Minerva duelling and Poppy using her healing skills warmed my heart. They've grown as characters and in ability so much since the start of their first year. The end passage while Millicent and Poppy are singing is one of my absolute favourite scenes in the story so far and also one of the first I planned when writing my story notes. It's nice to write the six of them together again, it hasn't been quite the same without Ro there for the last couple of chapters._

 _Erika's friend is Miranda Goshawk, canonical author of the Standard Book of Spells series and inventor of the Bat-Bogey Hex. She was born in 1921 and I've got Erika's birth year as 1922 (8 years before Ro) so it seemed realistic that they'd be in the same school year._

 _The nursery rhyme character Minerva thought of when she saw Professor Dippet is Wee Willie Winkie. Look him up and you'll see what I mean!_

 _The next chapter should tide us over until the start of fourth year unless I go massively over my word limit again xD I've tried to stick to an average of 10 chapters per school year, so fourth year will definitely get started within the next couple of chapters._

 _Unfortunately this marks the end of the more regular chapter updates; for the next two months until my A-Level exams are over, they won't be quite so frequent. It'll probably be between a week and two weeks between each chapter, as I just won't have so much writing time. But I just want to say since I've reached chapter 30 which seems fairly milestone-ey to me a very big thank you to every single one of you. I never imagined that this story would reach the popularity that it has, and it's probably thanks to that that I'm still going after nearly 100,000 words. Your reviews never fail to bring a smile to my face 3_


	31. The Cost of Victory

June 1945

* * *

Due to the activity in the Room of Requirement that stretched on throughout the night, the amount of rest that Ro got did very little to ease her exhaustion. She could vaguely remember lots of people singing a soft lullaby, then not long after that she was woken by the movement of her friends as they too lay down to get some rest. Still using Minerva's leg as a makeshift pillow, she watched Professor Merrythought gather any sixth or seventh years still in the Room and lead them out to battle before she drifted off again. Later in the night she saw Professor Epsilon return with his battle party, exhausted but triumphant expressions on their faces despite the wounds that most of them bore. Professor Harper, the Ancient Runes teacher, exchanged a few words with him before leaving at the head of a group of fifth years. After another hour or so, the sound of footsteps leaving the Room told Ro without needing to open her eyes that Professor Epsilon's party had rejoined the fight.

The next time her sleep was disturbed, it was by the group of fighters that Ro, Minerva, Irma, Nancy and Larry had encountered on the second floor entering the room in a thick silence. Professor Bishop was limping badly, leaning on Filch's shoulder, and the Hufflepuffs that followed them were looking more far more shell-shocked than the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that had made up Professor Epsilon's group. Ro's mind was jolted back to the cold-blooded murders of Spinnet and the Slytherin first year Maria, and she couldn't blame them at all.

Trailing behind them, and making a great deal more noise, was Professor Kettleburn. He was being practically carried between Professors Merrythought and Beery as his wooden leg appeared to have been blasted off, and his loud protests made heads lift all around the Room. Poppy, who had curled up for the night next to Ro and Minerva, sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily before getting to her feet and retying her bloodied apron around her waist. It was clear that she hasn't realised Ro was awake, though Ro knew that her reputation for usually being able to sleep through anything probably played a large part in that. Madame Quinine beckoned to Poppy from the centre of the Room where she and her volunteer Healers were seeing to the Hufflepuffs, before Ro had a chance to say hello, Poppy had hurried off to join the Matron.

Taking care not to disturb anyone, Ro shuffled towards Septima to take a look at the tiny clock and compass on a chain that she kept around her neck. The glass had been smashed and the compass needle was missing- Ro wondered if it was caused by the same accident that had resulted in her leg being bandaged- though she could still make out that the time was about 5:30. She couldn't see any point in trying to get back to sleep, so followed Poppy towards the Healer's area just as she and Professor Kettleburn with his escort reached Madame Quinine.

"It was a Reductor Curse," Ro heard Professor Merrythought say in shallow voice as she and Professor Beery dumped Professor Kettleburn unceremoniously onto a mat. "Keep him here, Herbert and I need to get back." It was only when she turned away that Ro saw the blood soaking the collar of her nightgown from the slash across her neck that was still oozing sluggishly.

"Galatea Merrythought, you're going absolutely nowhere." Madame Quinine shook her head, ploughing on over Professor Merrythought's attempt at interrupting. "You look like you haven't slept in a week, and you still haven't had that neck wound looked at. Miss Pomfrey can have a look at you then you can get some rest, I'm sure they can manage without you for a few hours."

Professor Merrythought didn't argue under Madame Quinine's sharp glare, leaving an amused looking Professor Beery to join his Hufflepuffs. She sat down heavily on the mat that Madame Quinine indicated, where Poppy was already arranging several little bottles along with a few rough squares of fabric.

Feeling a little out of place amongst the Healers, Ro sat down beside Poppy and kept her hands neatly in her lap. Poppy was frowning in concentration as she peered at Professor Merrythought's neck, and didn't look at Ro as she said "Did you sleep well?"

Ro nodded without thinking, not wanting to give Poppy another thing to worry about. "Yeah, alright."

Professor Merrythought appeared to have zoned out for a moment, her eyes staring blankly into the distance, but moved her head suddenly towards Ro when she spoke. "Keep your head still," Poppy said softly as the movement caused more blood to spill from the wound.

"Oh hello Rolanda," Professor Merrythought said somewhat dazedly, looking at Ro with only her eyes. She tilted her head away slightly to give Poppy more access as she started to gently wipe the blood away. "I suppose this isn't really how you imagined returning to Hogwarts, is it?"

Ro had to smile at the Professor's wry remark. "No, not really." She paused, then added "How's the battle going?"

"We seem to be slowly pushing them back. Professor Epsilon's party secured all the back entrances at about 2am, and Professor Harper's group have been guarding them since. The second floor has just been cleared, the only major battle left is in the Entrance Hall though I've stationed guards in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Astronomy Towers." Some of the dullness seemed to vanish from Professor Merrythought's blue gaze as she reeled off the battle plans. "And as far as I could tell from the window on the sixth floor, the battle in Hogsmeade is over."

"This is going to sting a little," Poppy broke in with a warning, holding a cloth doused in a violently purple liquid. Professor Merrythought nodded slightly before Poppy pressed the cloth to her neck, producing a few clouds of lavender-coloured smoke and making the Professor wince. After a minute she removed the cloth and touched her wand to the wound, muttering "Inchide" and watching with a satisfied smile as the wound closed over.

When Poppy withdrew, Professor Merrythought gingerly touched her wrist stump to her neck and looked impressed when it remained free of blood. "You've very good at this," she commented to Poppy, "Very good indeed. As were you, Rolanda, I watched you duel for a while and you did fantastically."

"Minerva said you did well," Poppy added, now dabbing Dittany potion onto a scratch close to Professor Merrythought's eye. "I'm glad we didn't encounter any soldiers when we were running down to the Hospital Wing."

"You've have been fine, you're a much better dueller than you think you are." Professor Merrythought said, switching her gaze to squint at Poppy. "I think all the duelling practise we've done in our Defence lessons this year has definitely paid off, though I had hoped you wouldn't need to put it into action so soon."

Ro thought for a moment, then shrugged and said "I'm kind of glad I got to."

Both Poppy and Professor Merrythought were looking confusedly at her, so Ro continued with an abashed smile. "I mean, Dad was killed by Grindlewald nearly 10 years ago, and it always bothered me that there was nothing I could do to... to avenge him, I suppose. When Kurtis was sent to Europe I almost envied him. But tonight gave me a chance to... to..."

"To fight back," Professor Merrythought said softly. Ro swallowed hard and nodded, grateful for her intervention. "I understand what you mean; I was in training to be an Auror before I became a teacher, and in my first year of training I met my husband." Ro listened intently as Professor Merrythought told her story, remembering back in their first year when she had revealed being married at one point. "He was a year older than me, and when we married he had just graduated while I had another year of training to do. Well, he was killed on his first mission and for a long time I wished that I could have been there with him to take on that Dark Wizard myself."

"What did you do then?" Poppy asked, a saddened look on her face.

Professor Merrythought had readopted her faraway look, and it took her a moment or two to continue. "I dropped out of Auror training- I couldn't bear to carry on without him there. I took up my maiden name again but always wore the wedding ring, until two years ago when it was swallowed by whatever monster is lurking in the cellar." She laughed briefly, before clearing her throat to carry on. "I took a year to rethink what I was going to do with my life, and during that time my younger sister in her seventh year at Hogwarts owled me to say the Defence teacher was retiring. It was a bit of a shot in the dark but I applied for the position, and that's how I ended up here."

She shook her head slightly as if to chase away the memories, but winced and pressed her hand to her forehead with a pained expression seconds later. "So remember," she addressed Ro this time, "in light of what you've been through, there is always a silver lining to every storm. Things may be rocky for a while and it's ok to be upset, but in the end you'll be alright."

Ro nodded, smiling gratefully at the Professor. She'd heard that talk- or variants of it- more times she cared to count since her accident. From all four of her older siblings on separate occasions, Aunt Josephine, Uncle Georg, Nurse Jocelyn at St Mungos, Professor Dippet on her arrival back at Hogwarts and Augusta earlier that evening. Each time she'd just smiled and nodded, tired of hearing the same words over and over again.

The sound of the door bursting open with a loud bang startled Ro out of her reminiscent thoughts, and she looked over to see Professor Aurelius marching in with Professors Harper and Slughorn either side of her. The crowd of Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who had been fighting together in the Entrance Hall fanned out behind them, though as Ro watched she couldn't discern between members of the different Houses. A tense silence stretched over the Room of Requirement, broken only by Professor Merrythought getting unsteadily to her feet to look Professor Aurelius in the eye.

"Well?" Professor Merrythought asked, her voice calm but urgency reflected in every line of her face.

Professor Aurelius held the silence for a moment, her lifted chin and squared shoulders giving the impression of a General returning from War. Then a tiny smile broke out and she spoke: "All exits are secured, and the Hogsmeade Auror Guard have reported no sky sightings within a mile radius. Hogwarts is clear, we've done it."

Whispers rippled around the Room of Requirement, and within seconds there was joyful laughter mingled with a few happy cheers. When Poppy turned to Ro there were happy tears sparkling in her blue eyes, and she threw her blood-smeared hands around Ro's neck without a second's hesitation.

A tap on her shoulder made them both look up to see Minerva grinning at then- Ro had a struggle to not laugh at her dishevelled hair. Irma, Septima and Millicent were just behind her, Septima hopping on her good leg while being supported by Irma and Millicent on either side. Wordlessly they all joined hands, grinning like idiots with relief that they had all made it through the war. Despite the devastation that lay all around them, Ro felt for the first time in nearly 3 months that she was finally home again and reunited with her friends.

The rest of that day was spent simply resting in the Room of Requirement. Madame Quinine and her volunteer Healers, Poppy one of them, slowly worked their way around the Room to make sure that no injury was missed. Ro and Minerva had escaped their unexpected duel mostly unharmed with the exception of a few scrapes, and since Irma and Septima had both been treated during the night they were mostly left in peace. In contrast with the past 48 hours, which had included her discharge from St Mungos and a day spent in Little Wakering before returning to Hogwarts, the peacefulness gave Ro some much needed time to sort her thoughts out.

Since Gryffindor Tower was still an uninhabitable mess, everyone slept in the Room of Requirement for a second night though this time with the welcome addition of sleeping bags. The next morning marked the start of the castle cleanup operation, and the more grisly task of finding the bodies of those who hadn't survived the war. The casualty rate in Grindlewald's army had been fairly low compared to the Hogwarts casualties, though Ro supposed that was what happened when students were pitted against seasoned wizards without conscience. In addition to Mr Spinnet and Maria, three Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw and two Slytherins had lost their lives in the war-torn corridors.

That evening they ate in the Great Hall for the first time in three days, arriving just in time to hear the Wizard Wireless report the defeat of Grindlewald by Professor Dumbledore and the official end of the Wizard War. Glasses were lifted in a toast to the fallen, the House boundaries unnoticeable as everyone joined together in their grief. The solemn moment was broken when a white blur was spotted streaking towards the hall; Ro, Minerva, Irma, Alastor and Augusta all burst into laughter upon recognising it as the ferret that two days ago had been one of Grindlwald's soldiers.

The remaining 4 weeks of the school year were mostly spent recuperating and repairing, with very few lessons being held as the teachers were so busy getting the school back to normal. Attendance was made optional, and many parents arrived within the next week to collect their children for an early school holiday. Ro, Minerva, Poppy, Septima, Irma and Millicent spent most of their time out in the grounds by the lake, enjoying some time together again just as much as the warm and welcome sunshine. It was only then that they really noticed the weight that had lifted off their shoulders with the end of the wars- Ro had forgotten what it felt like to not have to worry about what bad news the next day might bring.

The only think on her mind was the thought of returning home for the summer. Even the single day she'd spent at Little Wakering between being leaving St. Mungos and returning to Hogwarts had been so full of memories of her mother she'd found it overwhelming. It was the reason why she'd chosen to go back to school so quickly and not spend longer at home like Nurse Jocelyn had recommended. She was dreading the idea of having to spend a full six weeks there, especially since her cousins would be spending the summer back at Uncle Georg and Aunt Mabel's house. But when she finally mentioned it to Minerva and Poppy while in their dormitory, it appeared that the thought had crossed their minds too.

"We knew you wouldn't want to go back just yet," Minerva said, a sly smile creeping across her face. "So I sent a letter home asking if you could come to my house for the summer. There's no magic there at all I'm afraid, but it might be good to get away from it for a while what with everything that's happened. Kurtis already knows, we owled him too to check he was ok with it."

"We were planning on keeping it a secret until the end of term." Poppy added.

"Oh so that's why you two have been so secretive lately!" Ro broke in with a laugh. Since moving back into their dormitory two weeks ago, she'd lost count of the number of times she'd come in to see them hastily shove a piece of parchment under the nearest bed and ignore any questions she'd asked about what they'd been writing.

Minerva and Poppy looked at each other before bursting into giggles. "Yes, that would be it," Minerva grinned brightly.

Ro rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Thank you, both of you," she said, smiling gratefully at them. "Are you coming too Pops?"

Poppy shook her head. "No, I'm going back to mother and father's house in London. I've hardly seen them for three years so I didn't think I could say no when they asked me if I was spending the summer with them. I'll keep in touch though, and we can meet up at some point to go to Diagon Alley."

It had taken Ro a little while to adjust to living completely without magic for the first time in her life, but after a few days she began to find it a welcome change to what she was used to. Her wand had been locked beneath Mrs McGonagall's bed along with Minerva's and to begin with it had felt as if Ro was missing a part of herself, but the feeling lessened as she discovered more and more about the Muggle way of life. Mrs McGonagall had been amused by Ro's willingness to wash the dishes after dinner each evening- she found something oddly satisfying about cleaning it all by hand rather than just charming the scrubbing brush. Minerva had been right about escaping magic for a while being a good idea, as hidden away from it all in the Scottish Highlands Ro had never felt so at ease.

But there were still times when she missed the fast pace of the magical life. When a Hogwarts owl delivered three letters during breakfast one morning near the end of August, sudden thrill took Ro by surprise at the thought of being reunited with her wand. Mrs McGonagall passed them out to Malcolm, Minerva and Ro, and Ro could barely suppress her excitement as she ripped away the seal and tore the envelope open. But before she had even unfolded the letter there was a chink as something metal fell out of the envelope and into her glass of apple juice- which Ro felt tasted nowhere near as good as pumpkin juice did. She fished the object out and dried it on a tea towel, but when she looked at it closely the shock was enough for her to nearly drop it again.

"What is it?" Minerva prompted her after a moment passed of just staring at the red and gold enamel badge in the palm of her hand.

Ro swallowed hard, resisting the urge to either pinch herself or swear loudly. "I'm... I'm Quidditch Captain."

There was another moment of silence, before a grin split Minerva's face. "Ro that's amazing!"

"Congratulations," said Mrs McGonagall, a faint smile on her face. "I held that position myself when I was in my sixth and seventh years."

"Really?" Ro asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the Captain badge to look at Mrs McGonagall. "What position did you play? What was it like?"

Minerva winced beside her, and too late Ro remembered Minerva telling her a long while ago that her mother scarcely talked about magic when at home. Sure enough, Mrs McGonagall's smile fell and she returned to drying up the breakfast dishes. "I should eat up quickly if I were you," she said in a level tone, "We'll be meeting the Pomfreys in London in just under 2 hours."

Mrs McGonagall and Mrs Pomfrey had agreed when they met on Platform Nine and Three Quarters that they would meet in the Leaky Cauldron at noon on the day the booklists arrived. Mrs McGonagall took Ro, Minerva and Malcolm by Side-Along Apparation into the Leaky Cauldron, though there was no sign of Poppy inside the pub. After waiting a few minutes they went into the garden to the wall that was the gateway between Muggle and Magical London, and as Minerva tapped the bricks with her wand they folded away to reveal Diagon Alley stretching out before them.

Poppy and her parents were waiting for them just within the Alley, a grin spreading across Poppy's face and Godric bouncing happily on her shoulder as they spotted the McGonagalls approaching them. No sooner had Poppy tackled Ro in a vice-like embrace did Minerva say "Ro's been made Quidditch Captain!"

Ro hadn't previously thought it possible, but Poppy somehow managed to make her grip tighter as she gasped out "I'm so proud of you!"

"But I how can I be Quidditch Captain if I haven't even got a broomstick to fly on?" Ro protested, somehow wriggling out of Poppy's arms to look between her two friends. "I'm really happy that I got it, but I can't exactly lead the team on one of the spare Oakshafts in the Supply Shed!"

To Ro's surprise, Poppy and Minerva looked at each other and gave a decisive nod. With no word of explanation they started steering her determinedly down the Alley to a row of shops that Ro had never really looked properly at before. They stopped outside a little shop with a broomstick mounted on the overhang, and Poppy muttered quietly "This is it," before they stepped inside.

The interior of the shop reminded Ro a little of Quality Quidditch Supplies due to the brooms covering every wall, but that was where the similarities ended. There were no Bludgers, Quaffles or Snitches in sight, and none of the brooms on display were of a brand that Ro recognised. Each one seemed to be different, if only slightly, though she was prevented from looking further by a voice calling Minerva's name.

The source of the voice was a man seated behind a large desk, and it only took a second for Ro to realise that he reminded her strongly of Mrs McGonagall. They both had the same mousey brown hair as Minerva's youngest brother Robert, and the blue eyes that were shared by Malcolm too. Although Minerva definitely looked more like her father than her mother, there was still something about the man that Ro saw in Minerva too.

Obviously sensing Ro's confusion, Minerva turned to her and said "This is my Uncle Matthew, who is my mother's older brother. He works as a broomstick builder."

"It's a pleasure to meet you at last," Uncle Matthew said in the same scottish accent that Minerva and the rest of her family all had. "Which one of you is Poppy and which one is Ro?"

Still not quite sure of what was going on, Ro said slowly "I'm Ro, and this is Poppy."

"Hmm," Uncle Matthew stroked his chin as he observed Ro through narrowed eyes, looking her up and down a couple of time before nodding. "Should be just about right. I'll be back in a moment." He disappeared through a door, which Ro assumed lead to the back room of the shop.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Ro looked between Poppy and Minerva with an exasperated smile. "Can one of you explain what on in Merlin's name is going on?"

Poppy and Minerva looked at each other, before Poppy looked away with a quiet tut and a shake of her head. "You explain, it was your idea first."

"I only found out a few months ago that I had an uncle, let alone that he created custom-made broomsticks for a living." Minerva started, a smile spreading across her face. "We asked him whether he could save your Silver Arrow, but since he couldn't we decided to ask him to build you a new broomstick. It's made especially for you, so it'll be perfect for when you're playing as Quidditch Captain."

Ro's mouth had falllen open speechlessly at the end of Minerva's explanation, and she was saved from having to respond by the sound of the door being opened again. In Uncle Matthew's hands was possibly the most beautiful broomstick that Ro had ever seen. The handle was pale birch wood just like her Silver Arrow had been made of, but the bristles were a little shorter and more tightly packed. Instead of 'Silver Arrow' being written on the side in silver writing, printed in it's place was 'Ro's Rocket' in gold lettering with both R's in an elegant swirling style.

When Ro took the broom from Uncle Matthew, she could practically feel the magic crackling along the handle. "And this is for me?"

Uncle Matthew nodded. "It won't fit anyone else. Your friends here have been writing to me since May to get every little detail perfect."

'So that's who all those letters were really for,' Ro thought as she ran her hand along the golden writing. Suddenly she looked up at Poppy and Minerva and asked "But what about the cost?"

Minerva opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Uncle Matthew placing a hand on her shoulder. "Think of it as nearly 15 year's worth of missed birthday presents, my dear!" he laughed.

"Well?"said Poppy looking at Ro with a puppy-like expression of hopefulness. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Ro echoed, her face splitting into a grin so wide that her cheeks hurt. She put the Rocket down with so much care it might have been made of glass, before rushing forwards to drag Minerva and Poppy into a hug. Giving up on controlling her emotions, she let the tears of happiness and gratitude flow freely as she buried her head in Minerva's shoulder and managed to croak "I love it."

Suddenly it didn't matter that she was an orphan, or that she had no place she could truly call home. With Poppy and Minerva pressed either side of her and Godric humming somewhere near her ear, Ro knew that the people who cared the very most about her were still right there beside her.

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
_ _And the Grindlewald Arc reaches it's close. Of course it'll be referenced plenty of times throughout the rest of the story, being such an important time in the lives of our main six, but with the end of third year comes the end of this particular bit of plotline._

 _It was nice to write Ro again for the first time in a lot of chapters. There really is a different style of writing for each of the POV characters, hence why I spend so long deciding who's POV I'll be using for each chapter. Some are obvious but others take a lot more thought. It was also so nice to properly reunite our main six again; there was something missing with just the five without Ro and I'm looking forward to getting back into scenes with all six together._

 _The purple potion and spell Poppy uses here are from the series, after the first task of the triwizard tournament when Poppy is healing Harry's shoulder after escaping the Hungarian Horntail. It's done non-verbally there, but I felt like since Poppy hadn't even turned 14 during that scene (her birthday is at the end of June) she would do it verbally. Inchide means 'close' in Romanian (I just flicked through Google Translate to choose a language xD )._

 _Professor Merrythought's backstory was made up back when I was writing first year- crikey that feels like forever ago. It wasn't meant to be revealed just yet but the opportunity arose and I thought it would make sense. She's pretty much like 'school mum' for the main six, similar to Minerva and the Golden Trio during the series but with more obvious warmth. There are a few 'school mums' at my old school and college (school biology teacher, school english teacher, college history teacher) so I knew I wanted this sort of relationship in the story._

 _And Ro gets her Quidditch Captain appointment :D I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I know she's still quite young but Oliver Wood was made Quidditch Captain in his fourth year so it is possible. So Quidditch Training and matches will be even more tense and action packed from now on, if that's possible!_

 _This will be the last chapter until the last week of May when I've got a week's holiday. Although it hurts to put down my metaphorical pen for the next four weeks, I have to put all my time and energy into revising for these exams which are looming around the corner. I wanted to get this chapter out so that I can leave you in a nice place for the next month, then once I've got a little bit more breathing space we'll get started on what I can promise will be a very fun-filled fourth year! There isn't so much life-threatening action like we've seen in the past few chapters, but there are some events planned that are just lovely and I'm really looking forward to writing them._


	32. A New Kind of Normal

_September 1945_

* * *

There were two days in between the meet-up in Diagon Alley and the trip to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, but for Poppy it felt more like two months. She had grown used to a world with magic during her first summer in peacetime London since the start of the Muggle War when she was a mere 8 years old, and had made the absolute most of the first bit of quality time with her parents for the past three years. But after being given a taste of magic in Diagon Alley, she had been counting down the hours until she'd be back in that world again.

Kings Cross was just as crowded as it always was when she and her parents crossed through the magical boundary onto the platform. The Hogwarts Express in all its crimson glory was waiting at the platform, and Poppy couldn't suppress a grin of pure joy. Even Godric seemed to notice the change in atmosphere from his usual spot on Poppy's shoulder, making her arm tremble with the sheer force of his excited quivering. He was humming so loudly in her ear that she didn't realise her mother was talking to her until she gently shook Poppy's other shoulder.

"I said," Mrs Pomfrey repeated with a smile, "can you see Millicent and Mr Bagnold yet?"

Poppy's parents had met Millicent's father on the Platform when they left Hogwarts before the summer, and instantly bonded over their complete oblivion about the world of magic. When Poppy stood on tiptoes to look over the crowd she quickly picked out Mr Bagnold from Millicent's younger sister Tabitha sitting piggy-back style on his shoulders, but to her surprise it wasn't just Millicent who was with them. A tall, slender woman with perfectly curled auburn hair had her arm linked with Mr Bagnold's, and one look at Millicent's sullen face told Poppy that she wasn't the least bit happy with this arrangement.

"They're over there," Poppy said, tapping her father's hand to attract his attention away from the owls circling the ceiling. Mr Pomfrey looked at her with a start, before letting out a chuckle as he started to push Poppy's luggage trolley in the direction of Millicent and her family.

Millicent managed to force a smile onto her face when she saw Poppy, but there was still an unfamiliar glumness to her expression. "Hi Poppy," she said with the hint of a sigh, squeezing her into a tight embrace as Poppy's parents started talking to Mr Bagnold.

"Who's that?" Poppy whispered in Millicent's ear, giving the auburn-haired woman a pointed look.

Whatever Millicent was about to say was interrupted by the woman looking down at Poppy, the smile on her face so teethy it was bordering on intimidating. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Millie?"

Poppy had never considered herself a judgemental person before, and generally took pride in being fairly accepting. But the sickly sweet voice combined with that frighteningly wide grin told Poppy within seconds that this woman was not someone she liked.

Millicent held the woman's look for a moment before clearing her throat and turning back to Poppy. "Poppy, this is Trudy. Trudy, Poppy."

Mr Bagnold shot Millicent a frown, and the look on both her parents' faces told Poppy that they too could sense the tension between Millicent and whoever this Trudy person was. As the silence that had settled grew uncomfortable, Poppy smiled softly at Millicent and asked "Do you want to try and find the others? The train will be leaving soon."

Millicent's smile was more genuine this time to Poppy's relief. "Good idea," she said, "we'll need to get a compartment before they all fill up."

"Give us a goodbye then Pen," Mr Pomfrey said, making Poppy groan at the use of the old nickname she'd long outgrown. She passed Godric to Millicent before hugging her mother and father in turn, surprised at the sudden rush of emotions she felt at the idea of leaving them again for another year.

"I'll write often," Poppy promised before stepping back, allowing her mother to kiss her forehead before taking hold of the her luggage trolley.

Millicent hadn't made any move to wish her father a proper goodbye, merely calling "Bye Dad, bye Tabby," over her shoulder as she started to push her luggage trolley towards the train.

They hadn't gone very far before the sound of their names being shouted made Poppy look up. Septima was waving frantically to them from one of the train carriage doors, and from the next window she could see the faces of Irma, Ro and Minerva peering out. Poppy and Millicent steered their trolleys towards the luggage carriage and left them with the platform guards before pushing through the crowd to reach Septima.

"Hi!" Septima shouted over the train whistle, reaching down to help them on board. "Everyone's here and we've got a compartment to ourselves. Come on in before it gets too busy."

Sitting down in the compartment with her friends surrounding her was all Poppy needed to shake away the sadness of leaving her parents. Even Irma was smiling brightly as Poppy sat down next to her, remarking "Well this is a little more civilised than last year."

Her words reminded everyone of the unpleasant Portkey trip they'd endured in place of the train journey at the start of their third year, and they all burst into laughter. "That's one way of putting it," Ro grinned, and it was only then that Poppy noticed something was different about her. In the two days since Poppy had last seen her, Ro's hair had been cut from just below her shoulders to a messy bob that flopped over her forehead and reached just past her chin.

As if she could tell Poppy was noticing it, Ro flicked her head so that her hair flew around her face. "I decided it was time for a change," she said firmly, as if daring someone to say otherwise. "New me, new hair kind of thing."

"She made me do it," Minerva said severely from the window seat next to Ro, giving her a dark look. "Never again am I cutting someone's hairs with kitchen scissors. I could hardly stop my hand from shaking."

"I offered to do her hair afterwards," Ro said over everyone's laughter, giving Minerva a sweet smile that was met by a good natured eye-roll. "It'll be easier to manage for Quidditch practise."

Minerva pulled her long black plait over one shoulder and gripped it protectively. "You're never taking scissors to th-" She broke off suddenly and shook Ro's arm. "You need to tell them!"

"Eh? Oh yes." Ro laughed after a moment of confusion. She rustled in the pocket of her tatty cardigan before looking up slyly. "When our booklists came, I was also noted that I have been appointed-" she whipped her scarlet and gold badge out of her pocket and thrusted it high into the air "-Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain!"

"Ro that's amazing!" Septima cried.

"Congratulations," Irma nodded, smiling brightly.

Even Millicent was beaming, though Poppy made a mental note to ask her about whoever Trudy was later in the trip. Thankfully Septima beat her too it, waiting for the commotion about Ro's new position to die down before looking at Millicent and asking "Who was that woman with you and your father while you met Poppy?"

Millicent sighed, her smile falling instantly as looked away towards the window. The station was starting to move past them, and the accompanying train whistle told Poppy that they were on their way to Hogwarts. "That was Trudy," she explained unhappily, "my Dad's new girlfriend."

"Oh." Septima said, clearly understanding the situation much better than anyone else did.

After looking around for a moment, Millicent continued in a resigned voice. "Mum left us about five years ago now, had a fling with a Home Guard soldier and ended up marrying him. That was when Dad moved down to Croydon from Grantham; Mum never came to see us so he wanted my sister and I to make a new start without her. He promised then that Tabby and I would be the only girls in his life- I guess that didn't matter anymore when he met Trudy." The name was almost growled, bring a look of concern to Poppy's face.

"How long ago was that?" Minerva asked.

"Christmas." Millicent said, then laughed shortly. "You'd have thought that I might be told in a letter, just a word of warning would have done, but he said he wanted me to meet her in person first. Apparently he didn't want me to build up the wrong impression of her before I met her, but I don't think it would have made much difference."

Ro grimaced. "She's bad then?"

"She's awful! All sickly sweet with Dad and Tabby, but horrible to me whenever they're not around. And worse still, Dad says he wants to marry her!" After her sudden burst of angry energy, Millicent slumped back into her seat. "She knows about my magic too, Tabby told her though I'm not sure the Statute of Security really allows it. That didn't impress her much either. I think she was glad to see the back of me on the platform."

Millicent's look had changed from frustrated to upset, so Poppy put a comforting hand around her shoulders. "We're always here for you, you know."

"Yeah," Ro added, "and if you don't want to spend all of next summer at home you could always come to one of us."

"Thank you, all of you." Millicent smiled around at all of them, a grateful look on her face.

"One summer, we will have to spend at least some of it all together," Minerva said, looking thoughtful. "Not just a couple of people staying together, but all of us."

Septima nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea! I'm tired of not seeing you all for most of two months." She paused, then asked with a frown "But where would we all go?"

Everyone was at loss for a moment and the compartment fell quiet. Poppy knew that she was probably the person with the best home life out of them all, what with Septima and Irma's warring parents, Ro's lack of parents, the constant chilled atmosphere in Minerva's house and now Millicent's potential stepmother. But she knew that bringing her five magical friends back to her home in Muggle London would come with some interesting incidents.

"We could probably go to my house," she said slowly, still thinking it through, "though you'd all have to be really careful about magic. Just Godric alone proved very puzzling to my father." As if to prove a point, Godric started humming noisily from her shoulder which made her smile. "And I never really had very many friends before the war started so my parents aren't used to having lots of children around at once."

Minerva gave her a puzzled look. "How could you have not had any friends? You were so welcoming when Ro and I met you on the train."

Poppy giggled, feeling her cheeks warm slightly from the compliment. "I was never very well as a child, so I spent a lot of time at home. I was homeschooled until I was 8, so I never really learned how to make friends. I only really had mother, and it was having to look after me until then made her decide to train as a nurse when the war started."

"I suppose that's what made you want to be a Healer too?" Irma asked, and Poppy nodded in response.

"Well we could use the house at Little Wakering," Ro suggested. "It passed to Kurtis when- well, you know- so he and Carrie have been living in it since then. But we'd definitely be allowed to all move in for a while."

"As long as you'd be alright going back." Minerva said seriously, placing a hand on Ro's knee and looking her in the eye.

Ro shrugged. "I'll have to go back at some point, and it'll be better if you're all there too."

"You probably do have a good point." Irma mused. "One thing though, I'm not sure if mother would allow me to go. She's unimpressed with the fact I'm friends with Muggleborns as it is."

"But your father was a Muggleborn!" Ro burst out, then dropped her gaze with embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered, glancing tentatively up at Irma as she tucked a strand of fringe behind one ear.

Irma smiled. "It's alright, I don't really understand either. If we were staying at your house Ro it would probably be better since you're a Pureblood, so I'm sure I could get around it."

"So we have a plan then!" Septima said, grinning brightly.

Millicent laughed, Septima's infectious joy having removed the dull look in her hazel eyes. "I think we do."

The journey passed quickly as the girls all planned, thinking up endless ideas of things and places to do and see during their summer together. As evening fell they dropped into sleep one by one; seeing Ro use Minerva's lap as a pillow as she and Septima leaned on each other reminded Poppy of her first journey on the Hogwarts Express three years previous. When the resonating sound of the train whistle announcing their arrival woke everyone up, Poppy found herself resting her head on Irma's shoulder while Millicent leaned on her shoulder with her feet pulled up onto the seat.

The sight of the Thestrals pulling the carriages was no longer a surprise to Poppy, and as always she would stroke their smooth muzzles as the others watched on clueless. But this time she was joined by Ro, tentatively feeling the edge of the Thestral's wing as dark shadows danced behind her eyes. Ro had told her in haunted tones the day after the Battle about the deaths of Mr Spinnet and Maria Bulstrode, so she had been alarmed but not too surprised when the Thestrals were visible to her at the end of their third year. It was clear that she wasn't the only one; sharp gasps and saddened voices from every direction told Poppy that there were plenty of others seeing the Thestrals for the first time.

Although the Thestrals had cast a cloud of gloom over everyone, walking into the Great Hall had brought the smiles back to everyone's faces. The repair work from the battle hadn't been quite finished when term ended before the summer, so seeing the Hall restored to its former glory was a wondrous sight. Septima and Millicent joined their dormmates at the Ravenclaw table while Irma sat down with Imogen Farley on the Slytherin Table, leaving Minerva, Ro and Poppy to take their seats at the Gryffindor Table.

"Minerva! "Ro!" A voice made them look up to see Larry Spencer-Moon rushing excitedly towards them. He slid into the seat between Minerva and Shirley Miller, holding his collar out where a small red badge had been pinned. "I've been made a Prefect!"

"Hey, nice job!" Ro high-fived him from across the table. "I've got Quidditch Captain, we can share the fancy bathroom!"

Larry grinned, turning to look down the table at the rest of the fifth years and calling out "You owe me a Galleon now Ernest!"

Earnest Lawrence shot Larry a dark look but shouted "Congratulations!" to Ro all the same.

"We had a bet going over who would get the badge out of you and Nancy," Larry explained.

Ro, Minerva and Poppy all burst into laughter. "That reminds me of a couple of years ago when two other people I know had a very similar bet going." Poppy said as she elbowed Ro's arm lightly.

"Min said Fleamont, I said Alastor and lost myself a Galleon." Ro chuckled as she shot Minerva a look.

Minerva ignored her, instead turning to Larry and asking "Did you and Winston have a good summer?"

The four of them kept on chatting until Professor Dumbledore brought the first years into the Hall and began the Sorting Ceremony. One of the first names called was one that made numerous Gryffindor, groan quietly; although they had finally seen the last of Walburga, the sneer in Cygnus Black's face told them quickly that their Black family problems had not yet ended. Gryffindor's new members included Ro's cousin Heidi Hooch, yet another Wesley boy and a boy whose dreadlocks and beaming smile meant he could only be Maggie Jordan's brother. For the first time since Poppy's own sorting there was another Hatstall; a girl named Clementine who ended up joining the Slytherin table.

"Did I really take that long?" Minerva whispered as the next name was called up.

"Yes!" Poppy and Ro answered at once, giggling quietly.

"You even made Ro fall asleep," Larry added, and Minerva had to cover her mouth with the sleeve of her robe to muffle her laughter.

Poppy sat up tall in her seat to lok over the Hall at where Clementine had sat herself down near the end of the table. "I wonder if she'll be a more open minded Slytherin like Irma and Imogen?" she wondered aloud, "The pureblood supremists tend to have far quicker Sortings than that."

"Irma's going to end up becoming head of the Friendly Slytherin Club at this rate," Minerva said, finally getting her laughter under control but setting Ro off in the process.

"It's a good thing Augusta isn't here, or you'd be in serious trouble by now!" Larry hissed with a grin, and Poppy had to admit he had a very good point.

Once the Ceremony was concluded, Professor Dippet rose to make his usual Start of Term Speech. Poppy tensed instincitvely as she remembered the bad news that his last speech had brought, but it soon became clear that she had nothing to worry about.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, a year that I'm sure we all hope will be far more peaceful than the last. As a result of the welcomed change in national circumstances, the safety policies that were put into place for the duration of last year have all been removed. All those in third year and above will be permitted to visit Hogsmeade village on designated weekends, and all of the grounds can be used for broom flying without fear of being targeted accidentally."

Several people turned to glance in Ro's direction as Professor Dippet spoke, who tensed noticeably at the unwanted attention.

"On the subject of Quidditch, we have appointed a new flying instructor to replace Mr Spinnet after his tragic death during the Battle against Grindlewald. However she will not be arriving until mid-September, so first years flying lessons will not begin until then. Quidditch Captains will hold their tryouts as per usual, and anyone who wishes to try out for the position of Quidditch Commentator should see Professor Dumbledore. All I have left to say is this: tuck in!"

Food appeared on the tables, and the Hall was filled with the sounds of food being dished onto plates and happy chatting. It was immediately obvious to Poppy how different the atmosphere was to the Start of Term Feast last year, and even after the Wars had ended it had never felt quite this at ease.

Poppy clearly wasn't the only one who had noticed this. After a minute or two, a wide smile broke out on Ro's face as she declared "Now this is how Hogwarts is meant to feel."

Minerva nodded firmly. "And long may it last. Welcome home, everybody."

* * *

 _Author's note:_

 _Well depending on where you live in the world, I might have got this chapter out when I said I would! I promised the end of may and though it's technically June where I am now, it's probably still May for some of you._

 _Let it be said now that this is far from my favourite chapter. It took a while to get back into the swing of things after so long away from the story, so the quality of writing might not be at my best._

 _There are many things that I like though. It was good to finally include some details on Millicent's life outside Hogwarts, as up until now she was the only one out of the six who we knew little about. We won't see very much of her family, except perhaps little Tabitha when she gets older. She's not magical, but if she was then she would start at Hogwarts next September at the same time as Robert McGonagall and Anja Hooch. It was also really nice to write the first really happy scene between all six of the girls in absolutely ages, which is something I really missed in amongst all the drama that we ended third year with. Rest assured that there will be at least one summer that the girls spend all together._

 _Since the worst of my exams are over now updates will get a little more regular; I'd estimate at one chapter every other week until mid July. There are some great scenes coming up in the very near future so I promise the wait will be well worth it!_


	33. Facing Fears

_October 1945_

* * *

Although the return to what could be described as 'normal' was welcomed by all, it became apparent as the first month rolled by that there were some things that weren't going to change back. Though, as Minerva reflected many a time, the effects of something as massive as two world wars were never going to be reversible.

The Wizarding Wirelesses remained in all the Common Rooms, though simply reported the usual Magical news rather than the dreaded war reports. There was even the odd song amongst the talking, which always brightened everyone's moods. But performances by the new talent Celestina Warbeck often resulted in jealous looks being thrown in Ro's direction, as she started bragging about her family's free tickets to Celestina's concerts since she and Kurtis had been good friends at Hogwarts.

Being at Hogwarts and going to lessons felt almost odd during the first week, as in the aftermath of the Battle, the repair work taking up teachers' time meant that attendance hadn't been compulsory. It didn't take long to get back into the swing of things though, and Minerva enjoyed getting back into the learning side of school life. The increased difficulty of the work they were covering due to O.W.L. exams being only one year away wasn't quite so welcome. Neither was the dramatic increase in homework quantities, especially for Minerva and Irma who had agreed to use their Time-Turners against the Professors' instructions to get everything done if it became necessary. But despite their heavy workloads, there was still no shortage of enjoyment to be had.

Defense Lessons had been completely cancelled for the last few weeks of third year since Professor Merrythought had been so heavily involved in the castle repairs. To make up for that as well as their solely practical based third year, the first month of defense lessons had just been the theory behind some of the duelling spells they'd learned. However, when the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws arrived from Herbology to Professor Merrythought's classroom in the first week of October, they were greeted by an empty floor and an ominously rattling cabinet in front of the Professor's desk.

Professor Merrythought had an expectant smile about her face when the fourth years walked in and cautiously regarded the cabinet. "Leave your bags by the wall, all you'll need today are your wands," she called, taking a register as she did so. The wary murmurs turned into excited whispers as Minerva pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and put her satchel down, the whole class clearly eager to be doing practical work again.

Once everyone had gathered in a rough half-circle around the cabinet, she picked up her own wand and asked "Now I've got a Boggart in this cabinet. They prefer small, dark spaces to hide in where they won't be disturbed, so they can often sneak up on you when you're going into a cupboard or something after a while of not using it." She gave the cabinet a glowering look as she continued "This one surprised me when clearing out my office yesterday, it must have crept in after the repair work was finished. Now, does anyone know what a Boggart actually is?"

A couple of people glanced in Minerva's direction, expecting her to know the answer as per usual, but to her surprise she was beaten to it by Lyall Lupin. "Boggarts are shapeshifters, that change to look like whatever someone's worst fear is," he said promptly.

"Very good Mr Lupin, 5 points to Gryffindor." Professor Merrythought nodded, looking directly at Lyall. "I thought I might rely on your expertise today; with your father as Head of the Magical Creatures Department I expect you've heard plenty about these sorts of beasts." She paused for a moment before adding "Well they're non-beings to be exact, but I'll let Professor Kettleburn give you that lecture. I usually let him explain what all these creatures are, I just teach you how to get rid of them!"

Minerva laughed as did several other people; she had missed the Professor's sense of humour over the summer. Professor Kettleburn had already given her and the other Care of Magical Creatures students that lecture- it had been their very first lesson of third year. The cabinet shuddered violently, making the padlock clink, but it quieted down when Professor Merrythought hit it a couple of times with her wrist.

"Now, the charm to repel a Boggart is a simple one but it needs a strong mind." Professor Merrythought continued, rubbing her wrist with her other hand. "As you might have guessed from how it reacted just now, the best weapon against a Boggart is laughter. Therefore this particular charm, which I will teach you in a moment, will make the Boggart turn into a form that you find funny. There's no wand movement involved, you just point your wand at the Boggart and say the word 'Riddikulus'. Let's hear you say it now, no wands please because I don't know what might happen to me."

"Riddikulus!" The class chanted as one, before descending into laughter again. Minerva wondered what would happen if the charm was cast on something that wasn't a Boggart, making a mental note to ask Professor Aurelius in their charms lesson that afternoon.

Professor Merrythought waited until both the laughter and the cabinet's resultant rattling had fallen quiet again. "Very good, all of you. But there is another thing that will help you fight a Boggart; does anyone have any ideas?"

Minerva was yet again beaten to the post, this time by Ro who was eyeing the cabinet with an excited enthusiasm that reminded Minerva of her 'Quidditch Look'. "There's lots of us here, so the Boggart won't know what to turn into first."

"Another 5 points for Gryffindor. I presume these are commonly seen by your sister, Miss Hooch?" Professor Merrythought asked with a smile. When Ro grinned in response, she continued to the rest of the class "Miss Hooch's older sister works as a Dark Creature Catcher, and from what I know they commonly have to deal with Boggarts who are posing problems to unsuspecting Muggles."

"I didn't think Muggles could see Boggarts, Professor?" asked Mali Shafiq from the back of the room.

Professor Merrythought looked thoughtful for a moment, before answering "From what I've heard they can, but not to the same extend that we can. It might be mistaken as a hallucination of sorts, rather than a physical creature. I believe it's the same with all non-beings, but that's a question to ask Professor Kettleburn."

"Before I open this cabinet and let you all face the Boggart, there's one more thing to do. So that you're not taken by surprise, I want you to think about what you fear the very most, above everything else. Then, though it's easier said than done, try and think of a way to make it funny."

Minerva's mind was racing as she tried to think of what she was frightened of the most. The only thing that came to mind was her stupid fear of water but she couldn't think of any way that a Boggart might be able to show that. Poppy on her left was looking thoughtful and a little agitated, but on her other side there was a smile playing about Ro's lips.

Professor Merrythought clapped her hand to her wrist after a few minutes to get their attention. "I'm not going to demonstrate this time, I want to see how you all fare. Mr Lupin, would you like to take centre stage? Get ready to follow him, Miss Hooch, then I'll call you all up one by one." As Lyall stepped forward and everyone else shuffled back, Professor Merrythought moved a great distance away from the cabinet and flicked her wand at it. A yellow glimmer swirled around the padlock, before it fell away and the cabinet door swung open.

Out of the cabinet stepped what might have once been a man, but the eyes were staring sightlessly and the head lolled to one side as it stumbled forward. It took Minerva a few moments to recognise it as a zombie, remembering Lyall telling her about seeing zombies in a film over the summer. The Boggart-zombie was halfway across the room before Lyall pointed his wand, yelled "Riddikulus!" and made all its limbs fall off.

"Very good Lyall!" praised Professor Merrythought as the class laughed at the wriggling body parts. "Rolanda, up you go!"

Ro moved to stand in front of the Boggart, and when it had stopped reforming there was a universal gasp of horror. The man standing before them was instantly recognisable as Gellert Grindlewald- Minerva had seen enough pictures of him in the Daily Prophet to know his face far too well. He drew his wand at Ro and the whole class moved back as one. Ro's hands were shaking slightly though Minerva couldn't blame her in the slightest- how were you meant to make light of a world-renowned murderer?

With a shout of "Riddikulus!" from Ro, Grindlewald's formidable face turned into someone a lot more recognisable. It was Kurtis; one hand was on his hip and the other pushed his hair forward to resemble Grindlewald's curled quiff as he crossed his eyes and spoke in an attempt at a German-like accent.

Kurtis' Grindlewald impression had the whole class roaring with laughter, with Ro grinning proudly and Minerva feeling very impressed. Professor Merrythought shouted "That was fantastic Rolanda, very well done, you're next Millicent!"

Millicent still had a broad smile on her face as she marched in front of Kurtis, who transformed into a tall, slender woman with auburn hair. "Trudy," Poppy whispered next to Minerva, who was instantly reminded of the nasty-sounding women with Millicent's father on the Platform

"You'll never be part of our family," Trudy sneered, looking down her nose at Millicent who's expression was now of pure fury. "You're too abnormal, not like your wonderful father and darling sister, you could never be one of us-"

"Riddikulus!" Millicent bellowed, with an anger that Minerva had never seen her poses before. Trudy's immaculate curls turned into a frizzy mess and her perfect teeth grew so that she resembled a rabbit more than a person. She tried to continue speaking but her voice came out as only a squeak, and to Minerva's relief Millicent started to laugh.

"Good job Millicent," Professor Merrythought called as Trudy started pulling desperately at her hair, "Septima, your turn!"

Septima nodded at Millicent as she stepped forward, and Trudy was replaced with an enormous grey wolf with slavering jaws and glinting red eyes. "Riddikulus!" Septima shouted with only a hint of fear, and the wolf was replaced with a tiny silver puppy that made several people gasp with delight. It ran round Septima's legs a couple of times before tripping over its tail to roll onto the floor, sticking its tongue out comically.

"Well done Septima, Minerva lets have you next!" shouted Professor Merrythought, clearly enjoying herself just as much as the class were.

Minerva's misgivings rushed back to her as the puppy disappeared, reforming into a massive tidal wave that rushed towards her. She flinched on instinct, before remembering it was just the Boggart and brandishing her wand. "Riddikulus," she said with forced confidence, and the water that was seconds away from crashing over her head transformed into a flurry of tiny snowflakes. Minerva giggled as the snowflakes danced around her, moving back to allow Poppy to take her place.

Poppy looked nervous as she stood beneath the snow cloud, though let out an alarmed gasp when the Boggart finally took shape. There was a body lying on the classroom floor, covered in blood and an expression of fear frozen on its face. Minerva instantly recognised it as Poppy's mother, and Ro's sudden grip on her wrist told Minerva that she had too.

"Riddikulus," Poppy said, though her voice was quiet and unconvincing. Mrs Pomfrey disappeared in a swirl and Minerva hoped for a second that she had been successful, but its new shape was exactly the same as before but with Poppy's father instead. "Riddikulus!" Poppy cried again, a hint of desperation in her tone, and when the Boggart reformed Minerva felt her throat clench up. This time it was Ro's body, looking exactly how she had done after her terrifying fall through the Greenhouse roof.

The whole class had fallen into a still silence. Poppy's shoulders were shaking as she stared at Ro's body, and Minerva had to concentrate hard to prevent those awful memories flooding her mind. The real Ro had gone rigid, her eyes wide as she looked at her unmoving form and her grip on Minerva's arm intensifying.

"Poppy," Professor Merrythought called, her former amusement replaced with deep concern, "Poppy, are you alright?"

"I..." Poppy trailed off, before wrenching her gaze away from Ro to look back at the Professor, "I can't, I can't do it."

Professor Merrythought hurried forward, standing in front of Poppy so that the Boggart changed away from Ro's body. But what it reformed into did nothing to help Minerva's uneasiness, as the roar emitted by the Boggart was one that had haunted her nightmares for more than two years. Despite its shapless, shadowy form, the sound combined with the yellow eyes was enough to send Minerva's mind catapulting back through time to that fateful night when the Professor had lost her hand.

Professor Merrythought didn't even try to face the Boggart; her pale face had turned even whiter than usual and she clutched her wrist stump with her remaining hand. "Are you alright?" she asked Poppy quietly, flinching as the Boggart roared again.

The feeling of Ro tugging her arm made Minerva look down to meet her shocked gaze. "Did I really look like that?" she asked in a strained voice. Minerva could only nod, not trusting her voice to stay steady enough for words.

"Hector, you're up next!" Professor Merrythought said in a shallow voice, standing back in the far corner of the class with her hand resting on Poppy's shoulder. Still feeling a little shaken by her two unwelcome trips into the past, Minerva stayed quiet as the rest of the class tackled the Boggart. As the last few people had their turn it seemed to get confused, cycling randomly through a few of its previous forms, before finally bursting into nothing after Joseph Kennedy turned it from a swarm of wasps into a cloud of fireworks.

"Very good everybody, that was a fantastic lesson." Professor Merrythought called over the class' excited chattering. "25 points each to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for some fantastic wandwork, and you're all free to go. Except could I hang on to Septima and her clique for a few minutes.

Assuming that the Professor meant her, Minerva hung back along with Septima, Ro, Poppy and Millicent as the rest of the class collected their bags and left down the corridor. Once it was just them left in the classroom, they all gathered around Professor Merrythought who was still looking lost in thought.

Poppy was still trembling slightly, clutching her wand so hard that her knuckles had turned white. "I'm really sorry Professor," she said in a broken sort of voice, "I didn't think it would be that, I didn't know what do to."

Professor Merrythought silenced her by placing her hand over Poppy's. "Don't you worry about it dear, there's nothing to feel ashamed about. Facing your worst fear is never going to be easy, especially when it's tied to a terrible memory." A second's hesitation, then "I can't face my Boggart either. Professor Aurelius had to come and rescue me when I first found that one. That night is not one I'll be able to forget in a long while." She fell quiet then, a look of dark reminiscence in her eyes.

"Are you ok, Professor?" Millicent asked after a few moments, voicing the question that had been on Minerva's mind.

"Hmm?" Professor Merrythought said, shaking her head slightly, "oh yes, don't worry about me. I just thought I ought to let you all know that your sister-" she looked directly at Septima "- reacted to the Boggart very much like Poppy did in their lesson before yours."

Septima frowned, looking as worried as Minerva was feeling. It wasn't like Irma to lose her composure, so whatever her Boggart was must have really unsettled her. "Is she alright?" asked Septima.

Professor Merrythought sighed. "She seemed quite badly shaken, but assured me she would be fine. Though I think she'll need some consoling when you see her, it was the comments of a few other people that upset her just as much as the Boggart itself did and she'll have been with them for this lesson too." Her voice had taken on a harsh tone, and Minerva knew instantly exactly who the Professor was referring too. "Go on now, she'll need you with her."

Bidding the Professor a hasty goodbye, they quickly collected their bags and ran down the staircases to the ground floor. On the way to the back entrance they passed several Hufflepuffs in their yeargroup, reassuring them that Irma would already be on her way out of Herbology. But when they tried to get out into the grounds, to their despair the doorway was blocked by Abraxas Malfoy, Druella Rosier, Owle Bullock and Apollyon Pringle.

"Come to find your sister?" Druella asked, sneering at Septima. "She didn't cope with the Boggarts very well, Professor Merrythought had to come and rescue her."

"Spent the whole of Herbology sniffling too." Abraxas taunted, "Pathetic really."

Druella nodded, a look of haughty disdain on her face. "Though it's only her own fault. If her mother had made a proper marriage than she would never need to be afraid of her mudblood father."

Minerva froze, her mind trying to process what Druella had just said. Irma's Boggart was... her father?

Septima's lip curled. "Mind your own business, and stop clogging the doorway. Haven't you got someone better to taunt."

Druella laughed, a harsh, cruel sound that set Minerva's teeth on edge. "Watch it, Vector. Remember who your superiors are."

"Don't waste your time on them," Abraxas sighed with a note of mock resignation. "They're just a bunch of mudbloods, blood-traitors and Muggle lovers. We could never impress our values onto them."

Ro growled under her breath, reaching for her wand. The Slytherins all laughed, though moved out the doorway and continued down the corridor towards the Dungeons.

Before their jeers had faded out of earshot, Alphard Black had appeared in the door and hastily whispered "She's under the tapestry that hides the secret passage." Without waiting for a response, he had run down the other corridor which lead to the Great Hall.

"The nerve of them!" Ro spat, her yellow eyes blazing with fury.

"But at least we know where Irma is." Minerva said, laying a hand on Ro's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "The secret passage we used with Larry and Nancy during the battle, you remember?"

Sure enough, when they found the tapestry they could hear the sound of quiet whimpering coming out from behind it. Minerva stepped back to let Septima go first, who lifted up a corner of the tapestry to reveal Irma sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and head in her hands.

"Oh Irma," Septima whispered softly, moving forward to let everyone else in. It was a tight squeeze with all six of them in the tiny alcove, but they were just about able to sit down comfortably. "Professor Merrythought told me what happened."

Irma lifted her head and nodded, wiping her tear-stained cheek with the sleeve of her robe. "I didn't think it would be him," she said hoarsely, not meeting anyone's gaze. "But then he appeared and said I was a disgrace of a daughter and wished he only had one." She broke off sobbing; Septima looked both stunned and a little guilty, so it was Poppy who pulled her into an embrace.

"I couldn't do it either." Minerva heard Poppy whisper, as she leaned back on the wall and closed her eyes briefly. It wasn't just Irma and Poppy who were suffering- seeing Ro's broken body on the floor and hearing that grating roar outside her nightmares had taken its toll on her too.

After a minute or two, the comfortable silence was broken by Ro's voice. "We need a break," she said, and Millicent made a noise of agreement. "Who fancies a trip down to the lake?"

"Yeah," Septima said, finally shaking away her staggered expression and putting her arm around Irma's shoulder. "We've got all of lunch, let's get out of this castle for a while."

"Though only if you're alright with the water," Millicent suddenly said, eyeing Minerva. "I had no idea it bothered you that much."

Minerva sighed; she had often wondered why she was so wary of water, but never to any avail. "I don't know why it does, but it always has done. Sitting by the lake will be fine though." She paused for a moment, then laughed. "As long as you don't expect me to get in it!"

* * *

 _Author's Notes:  
Surprise! A wild author has appeared!_

 _Ok so I know I wasn't supposed to update until next week or so, but guess who went to the Warner Bros Studio Tour last Friday and got filled with Harry Potter excitement? That's right, it was me. Seriously, if you ever get the chance to go then you really must. It was absolutely incredible. I was grinning like an idiot when I walked through the Great Hall and realised I was literally standing inside my own fanfic. I won't go on about it too much here (though if anyone's curious, shoot me a message!) but I'll say just one thing: riding a broomstick wearing Hogwarts robes feels absolutely incredible._

 _Onto the chapter notes. I didn't imagine that the Boggart scene was going to be anywhere near this long! xD I wrote up to when Prof Merrythought asks them to stay behind, checked my word count and nearly had a heart attack. I was hoping to get the Quidditch tryouts in here too. They might not actually be shown as a result, because there are three specific things that need to happen next chapter so if I don't have room for the tryouts I'll have to leave them out. And the reason that they're studying Boggarts and dark creatures now rather than in third year like in the series is because last year had to be devoted solely to dueling techniques._

 _I spend a very long time thinking about what everyone's Boggart would be. Lyall Lupin's is more random, I got the idea from the fact that the 1930s-40s was the beginning of the zombies in films era. (I wanted Lyall to have a central role here because I've really neglected him in this story, he was originally going to be the sixth main character but Irma stole his place!) Ro's just couldn't be anything else in my opinion but thinking of how to make it funny was harder, though I like what I came up with. Minerva was a tricky one, as I couldn't think of how a Boggart could represent a fear of drowning. Septima's was again more random but I liked the idea of the little puppy. Millicent's was fairly easy, as was Irma's (poor darling). With Poppy's the reason it cycled between the bodies was because she couldn't cast the Riddikulus curse, the same as what happened with Molly Weasley in OotP._

 _With Professor Merrythought I was originally going to have the body of her husband (see ch 31 if you've forgotten) but then remembered the Basilisk. Though they don't know it was a Basilisk, hence the shadowy form. I think hearing that roar would be enough to frighten anyone, let alone someone who actually had a run in with the creature like she did. I thought it would be interesting to see a teacher not being able to defeat their Boggart, but at the end of the day they're as human as the rest of us._

 _The Slytherin bullies actually make a comeback after a very long time away! I didn't realise how long it had been since they'd last caused problems, though I suppose with all the Grindlewald drama even they had other things on their minds. They'll be making a comeback in fourth year though, and I don't think it'll reveal too much to say that they'll be playing a role in the shenanigans of the next chapter..._

 _Speaking of chapter 34, it will probably be out in about a week and a half's time at an estimate. It's a seriously fun one, one I've been looking forward to it for ages. And this is where things start to pick up, because I know these past two chapters haven't really had a big plot behind them like third year had. But let's be honest here, how could I write a full Hogwarts fanfic without including a Boggart class?_


	34. One of Those Days

_November 1945_

* * *

Ro stood beneath the stands around the Quidditch pitch, her arms crossed over her chest and a look of displeasure on her face. It was the morning of the first Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin against Gryffindor, as well as her first match with the Captaincy of the new House Team. She'd been awake since 7 am and was already in her Quidditch Uniform, having crept out of the dormitory down to the changing rooms to survey the pitch without disturbing Minerva or Poppy.

It had been only four weeks since the Tryouts for the Gryffindor Team had taken place, as Professor Dippet had been insistent that the Captains all waited for the new Flying Instructor to arrive before holding the Tryouts. Ro had been infuriated at the time, venting her frustrations to anyone who would listen about how their chances of winning the match decreased with every potential practise they lost out on. In mid October the Flying Instructor finally arrived and the Tryouts were given the go ahead, and when Ro made her way down to the pitch that morning there was a very familiar face waiting for her.

It turned out that their new Flying Instructor was none other than Marilyn Douglas, Gryffindor's old Seeker who had been in her seventh year when Ro was no more than a firstie. Ro was surprised to see her, having expected her to have gone on and played Quidditch professionally. But Marilyn had explained that she decided to train as a referee instead, and had taken the Hogwarts position without a second thought when she saw it advertised.

The Tryouts had gone very well in Ro's opinion. She had been generally pleased with the players who tried out for the Keeper and Chaser positions that Fleamont Potter and Alastor Moody's departures had left vacant. In the end she chose Cleatus Weasley for the Keeper position, remembering Minerva telling her how Alastor had recommended him for the position. Picking a third Chaser was more difficult as they would have to be able to work in a unit with Minerva and Larry; after much deliberation she settled on Anthea Newton, one of the old reserves and a good friend of Nancy Campbell's. Their final couple of practises before the match had been fantastic, and until now she hadn't been too worried about taking on Slytherin.

A lightning bolt flashed overhead, making Ro jump and swear softly under her breath. She hadn't been too worried about the match until she'd woken up to discover a torrential downpour outside her window. She had no idea how long she'd been stood beneath the stands, but in that time the weather had only worsened from a heavy rainfall into a full blown thunderstorm.

Something tapped Ro on the shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see Poppy stood by her side. Her Gryffindor scarf was flapping wildly in the wind; Godric nestled into the top pocket of her duffel coat rather than perched in his usual spot on her shoulder. "I brought you this," she said, passing Ro a piece of cold toast, "you missed breakfast and we didn't know where you were. Minerva went with Larry into the changing room."

"Thanks," Ro smiled, suddenly feeling guilty about leaving without telling anyone where she'd gone.

After a pause, in which Ro quickly devoured her toast, Poppy said in an anxious voice "Are you sure this is a good idea? You'll catch your deaths out there with the weather like this. I'm sure everyone would understand if you asked for the match to be resched-"

Ro broke in roughly, cutting Poppy off mid-word. "We're playing. I won't become known as the Captain who fled from her first match."

Poppy sighed quietly but didn't say anything, seeming to recognise when she was beaten. When Ernest and Cleatus emerged from the changing rooms, Poppy touched Ro's hand tentatively to catch her attention again. "I should go up to the stands now, but I'll see you after the match. Good luck."

Ro nodded, forcing a smile. "I'll be careful, don't worry about me," she said, answering Poppy's unasked question. Poppy didn't return her smile before running off towards the staircase to the spectator stands.

Once Poppy had disappeared from sight, Ro went into the changing rooms where she'd left her broomstick. She ran her hand over the handle upon picking it up, pausing over the elegantly written 'Ro's Rocket' as she did so. Although she missed her old Silver Arrow, still in pieces beneath her bed, there were still times when she couldn't believe a broom as beautiful as the Rocket could belong to her. The acceleration was breathtaking and it would turn with the slightest change in position; Larry had joked a few times that it seemed to obey her thoughts rather than her actions. She had certainly put it through its paces during their practises and had no doubts that it would still handle well despite the gale, though she couldn't help her reluctance to expose it to the elements for the first time. Laughing at herself, she left the now empty changing rooms to join her team under the stands.

"Morning," Nancy greeted her cheerfully, though Anthea at her side looked more nervous. "How're you feeling?"

"I don't like this storm." Ro admitted, glancing back outside where the wind had picked up considerably. "But we're still playing."

Nancy nodded firmly, lending Ro reassurance. With Fleamont's graduation she had expected Nancy to be awarded Captaincy of the team, now being the oldest player, so it meant a lot to have her support and agreement. "As long as we're not out there for long, we'll be fine."

A shrill whistle sounding in the distance silenced the chatter among the team. Ro took a deep breath, knowing they had just under a minute before they'd be out there on the pitch. "Right then. I'll lead on, then I want Minerva and Larry either side of me with Anthea just behind. Nancy and Ernest go behind Anthea, and Cleatus bring up the rear. Got all that?"

There were a few murmurs of "Yes Captain!" as the team organised themselves into formation. Ro nodded once they were sorted, before falling into place at the head of her team.

They marched- or squelched- out onto the pitch to the cheers of the crowd, oddly muted behind the wailing wind. "Here are the Gryffindor Team, lead by new Captain Rolanda Hooch," shouted Maggie Jordan over the commentary; she'd auditioned for the position of commentator after Filius Flitwick graduated. "Some of you might remember back when Erika Hooch Captained the Gryffindor Team; if Rolanda's anything like her sister then we've got a cracking match coming up."

"Captains, shake hands," ordered Marilyn- or Madame Douglas now, Ro reminded herself. Slytherin's new Captain, Neil Lament, was a lanky fifth year boy who looked nowhere near as intimidating as the previous Captain Nott. Ro smirked inwardly at his mildly nervous expression when brown eyes met piercing yellow, and she gripped his hand firmly when she shook it. Then she mounted the Rocket, the balls were released, and they were off.

If the storm had felt bad on the ground, it was even worse once the players were airborne. Ro could hardly see the other crimson-clad players, let alone the Snitch, through the grey rain as she flew around the stadium. Not long into the game she had to swerve violently to avoid a Bludger that turned out to have been hit by one of her own Beaters; a short while later she saw Ernest mouth 'sorry' in her direction. The rain was so forceful that she could feel it trickling down beneath her goggles, Minerva had used the Impervius charm to make them repel water but that didn't stop the rain dripping into her eyes. Every layer of her uniform was soaked through, she could hardly feel her numb fingers within her sodden gloves, and her drenched hair was plastered to her head.

Even the commentary was inaudible now with the howling of the wind in her ears, so she had absolutely no idea how the Chasers were getting on beneath her. A clap of thunder made her jump so badly she almost lost her balance, gripping the rain-soaked handle of her Rocket hard to stay aboard. Poppy had been right about the dangers of the storm- if they didn't get the game finished as soon as possible, someone was going to get seriously injured. And knowing her previous record, it was probably going to be her.

A massive blur zooming past nearly unseated her again, though her screeched swearing was lost to the wind. Ro could just about make out a number seven written in silver on a green uniform, meaning it was Owle Bullock who had just flashed by. Suddenly concerned that he had managed to spot the Snitch, she leaned forward to soar fast behind him. The Rocket's unbeatable acceleration meant she was level with Bullock within a minute, but she could feel the wind dragging her sideways as she flew. In normal conditions it would beat Bullock's Comet 180 without a problem, but Bullock's heavier bulk meant that he was being affected by the gale much less than Ro was.

Ro's attention was captured when she spotted the faintest golden glimmer in the distance, hovering about 30 feet over the stands. It was clear that Bullock had seen it at the same time as her, as he put on a surprising burst of speed that left her struggling to catch up. The wind had picked up again, battering her and the Rocket to the point that she could barely fly in a straight line.

Dread filled her heart as Bullock neared the Snitch, one hand off his broom handle to reach out for it. Ro gritted her teeth and launched herself forward, but she couldn't see any way she'd be able to get to it before him. They were 10 feet away... 5 feet away... a groan escaped her lips as she recognised her imminent defeat.

A sharp blast of wind interrupted Ro's despair, catching her completely by surprise. She let out an involuntary yelp as she barrelled into Bullock, her arms flailing in a failed attempt to stabilise herself. Something collided with her fingers and she grabbed it desperately in the hope it might stop her falling, but the Rocket was slipping out from between her legs. Expecting a long fall before she hit the mud below, it came as a shock when she slammed into something wooden mere seconds later.

Every breath of air had been thrust out of Ro's lungs with the collision. Gasping like a fish out of water, it was a moment or two before she finally opened her eyes to try and work out what she'd hit. Her vision was swimming, but she could just about make out the forms of several people peering down on her. Suddenly she became aware that someone was calling her name, and the faces above her swam into focus. Professor Dumbledore's unmistakeable beard became recognisable first, then steel-grey hair of Professor Merrythought and Professor Aurelius' freckled face.

"Can you hear me, Rolanda?" That was Professor Merrythought, easing her wrist beneath Ro's shoulder to gently help her sit up. Professor Aurelius had hold of Ro's left arm and was gently flexing her elbow; she went to snatch it back before remembering that Professor Aurelius had previously been a Mediwitch.

"Mhmm," Ro nodded, still feeling a little dazed as she pulled off her goggles and felt her fringe flop into her eyes. "Wha' happ'nd?"

It was Professor Dumbledore who answered, kneeling down by Ro's feet. If her mind didn't feel so fuzzy, Ro might have laughed at the way his pointy hat had sagged halfway up and was dripping water from the tip. "You were blown off your broomstick into the staff stands. But you won the match."

"Oh, ok," Ro said vaguely, before her mind processed Professor Dumbledore's words. "Wait, we won? But how?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. "Take a look at what's in your other hand."

Ro looked down at her closed fist, remembering her frantic grab of something tiny and airborne. She didn't dare hope too hard, until she opened her fingers and a grin spread across her face. Sat atop her waterlogged glove, wings folded neatly into its side, was the Golden Snitch. Flicking her sodden fringe out of her face, Ro beamed up at Professor Dumbledore.

"You look fine to me," Professor Aurelius said, finally finishing her inspection. "Can you stand?"

Ro was grateful when Professor Merrythought held out an arm to her, and with her help she was able to stagger to her feet. "I feel fine," she said, jumping a couple of times on the spot to check her legs.

"Good." Professor Merrythought smiled, "Now, since no-one seems to have a clue what's happening, we'd better go and clear up the confusion."

It didn't take long for Professor Merrythought to be proved right. The thirteen remaining players had landed on the boggy pitch, and there seemed to be an argument raging between the Gryffindors and Slytherins which Ro could only just hear over the storm and the talk in the stands.

Professor Dumbledore blasted a shower of golden sparks into the air with his wand, catching the attention of every person in the stadium. "The match is over as the Snitch has been caught," he called out in a magically magnified voice, then beckoned to Ro. Unable to wipe the smile from her cheeks, she lifted the Snitch into the air as the crowd burst into cheers.

Ro was reunited with the rest of her team beneath the stands, every one of them drenched to the skin but still grinning from ear to ear. Minerva pulled her into a clammy embrace as Nancy clapped her on the shoulder, their hands feeling just as numb and frozen as hers.

"Told you it'd be alright, didn't I?" Nancy laughed, unbuckling her arm guards. "But what happened? All I saw was you and Bullock having a punch-up in midair!"

Ro burst out laughing. "Not far from what happened really, though I'd have never caught the Snitch if I hadn't been blown into him!" She twirled the Snitch between her fingers, the metal cold on her fingertips.

"So we owe this match to the storm then," Larry said. To Ro's surprise he was holding the Rocket in addition to his own Cleansweep, though as he passed it over he explained "It was blown onto the pitch after you fell into the audience, but there's no damage done."

"Good good." Ro nodded, sliding the Snitch into her pocket. She knew from experience that Quidditch Captains got to keep their Snitches; Erika had a sizeable pile on the mantelpiece of her flat, and the three Snitches she'd caught during Fleamont's Captaincy had all been kept by him. "I think we've earned a hot shower, even my underwear is soaked!"

The whole team laughed, though Minerva shook her head slightly as she wrung out her plait. "Because we all really needed to hear that," she said exasperatedly, neatly dodging Ro's elbow.

Once they'd all warmed up a little with the help of a shower and change of clothes, Ro and Minerva left their filthy uniforms behind to be washed while they returned to the castle. They met up with Poppy, Septima, Irma and Millicent on the first floor corridor, all wearing bright smiles. Poppy's face held a hint of a frown though, which Godric was clearly oblivious too as he bounced happily on her shoulder.

"I may as well stop telling you to be careful," she huffed, looking Ro sternly in the eye.

Ro shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Well I'm not, not, being careful. It's not Quidditch if there's no fistycuffs on the pitch, especially when it's Slytherin you're playing."

"And speaking of Slytherin," Irma said, her voice low, looking pointedly down the corridor.

Ro followed her gaze and groaned inwardly at the sight of Owle Bullock, Abraxas Malfoy and Orion Black, still wearing their Quidditch uniforms. Her dismay grew even more when she noted their furious expressions, all trained on her.

"I don't see what cause you ragtag bunch have to celebrate," drawled Abraxas. He seemed to be addressing all of them, though his pale gaze was fixed only on Ro.

Meeting his eyes unflinchingly, Ro growled "What do you want?" She inwardly cursed the fact that her wand was still on her bedside table in Gryffindor Tower.

Bullock spoke, though Ro and Abraxas maintained their stare for dominance. "We were just thinking-"

"I didn't think you had the capacity, Bullock." Irma interrupted, her voice quiet and dangerous. Ro had never heard that from her before, and a smirk flickered around her mouth.

Owle's lip curled into a snarl and he went to move forwards, though Orion's vice-like hand on his shoulder stopped him. Orion stepped in front of Owle and Abraxas, forcing Ro to break off her stare. "We were contemplating how you've never managed to beat Slytherin at a Quidditch match."

"What are you talking about?" Minerva's tone was harsh, fists clenching at her sides. "We won this match, and last year's too."

Orion laughed, and both the younger Slytherins followed in his lead. "You only won because of outside intervention. If the Mudblood-" anger coursed through Ro's veins "- hadn't spotted Lestrange you'd have never touched the Cup last year. And you may as well have stolen the Snitch out of our grasp today."

"Last year you cheated, today she caught the Snitch first. I don't see any illegalities in that!" retorted Septima.

"And the year you actually beat us, if it weren't for your lucky hit at my head then we'd have won that too." Ro added.

Abraxas tutted patronisingly. "Quidditch comes with risks, Hooch, if you can't handle them then you should really hand that badge in"

"You can keep making excuses, it'll never make you a decent player." Orion continued with a nasty leer. Compared to your sister you're an absolute joke, and that's saying quite something."

If Minerva and Poppy hadn't immediately grabbed hold of her arms, Ro would have attacked him even without a wand. Blood was roaring in her ears, and she could already feel the crackle of magic at her fingertips that would shatter the windows if she let it grow unchecked.

"He's not worth it," Millicent whispered from somewhere close behind her, "let it go."

Ro took a long breath, and the fury faded from her chest. With a curt nod to Minerva, they all turned wordlessly to walk down the corridor in the other direction.

"You know, I reckon Dumbledore only made her Captain out of pity." Owle's voice drifted down the corridor, loud enough that he clearly intended them to hear. "Because her blood traitor mother couldn't save herself from the big scary Muggles!"

Ro's vision blurred again, but this time it was nothing to do with a 30 foot drop. Wrenching her arms free from Minerva's grip, she marched towards Owle and jammed her knee up between his legs. With a pained moan he collapsed to the floor, face twisted in an expression of agony.

"Don't you ever insult me, my friends or my family again!" Ro spat, chest heaving adrenaline. So focused on Owle, there could have been no-one else in the corridor for all she knew.

Her gaze was ripped quite literally from Owle's convulsing form by Abraxas seizing the collar of her shirt and shaking her roughly. "This is from him," he growled, kneeing Ro hard in the stomach. She winced involuntarily and her knees threatened to buckle, though she forced herself to look him back in the eye. "And this is from me."

In one swift movement, his forehead connected with the bridge of Ro's nose. There was a cracking sound that resonated through her skull, seconds before hot blood gushed out all over her face. Abraxas released her shirt and she hit the floor helplessly, gagging as blood flowed into her mouth and down her throat.

Ro was dimly aware of the goings on around her, though the dull ache in her stomach and the numbness spreading across her face prevented her from concentrating on much else. There was a lot of shouting going on, before heavy footsteps fading out of earshot signalled the departure of the Slytherin boys.

"Get her into the bathroom," someone said close to her ear as several pairs of hands helped pull her to her feet. Ro let herself be guided blindly forwards, her dazed mind meaning she could only stumble in the direction that she was pushed in. She opened her eyes in time to see them pass into the girls' toilets, then caught sight of her reflection in a mirror and immediately wished she hadn't. Dark blood was flowing from her nose with the speed of a running tap, and there were great blotches of red all over her clothes and hands.

"Ro, look at me and hold still." The same voice sounded again, and Ro now realised it was Poppy. She had her wand pointed at Ro's nose, the tip of her tongue protruding from her lips in an expression of intense concentration. "Episkey," Poppy muttered, and Ro readied herself for the unpleasant sensation she knew was in store. Her nose burned hot, then grew cold, and finally felt relatively normal again.

Trusting that her nose was now fixed, Ro turned back to the mirror and braced herself on the sink beneath it. The sight was absolutely ridiculous; her hair was sticking out all over the place as it dried, and there was the hint of a bruise already blooming around the parts of her nose that weren't caked in blood. She could feel herself shaking from head to toe, and told herself firmly not to pass out.

"Are you alright?" asked Poppy, and Ro suddenly realised she'd said the words out loud. "Do you need to lie down?"

Ro shook her head, though the motion only made her feel worse. "No I'm fine, I'm-" she broke off as she coughed up a mouthful of blood into the sink. Millicent waved a wad of toilet roll in front of her face, which she used to wipe the blood now dripping from her nose and mouth.

"Take it easy now Ro," Minerva said, laying her hand on Ro's shoulder. "When you're ok we'll go back up to the dormitory for a while."

"I'm alright." Ro mumbled, her eyes shut again as she leaned over the sink and breathed heavily. The pain in her stomach hadn't lessened, though she wasn't sure there was anything Poppy could do for that. Feeling she had enough strength to talk properly again, she said between breaths "It's not the first time I've had broken my nose, though I swear it wasn't this bad before."

"What happened last time?" asked Septima, now sitting rather awkwardly in the sink next to Ro.

Ro let out a short laugh as the memory came back to her. "Fell out of a tree, I think I was eight or nine? I was playing on the farm with some Muggle friends so it was ages before Uncle Raymond could fix me up."

Poppy tsked in that motherly way that only she could pull off. "How is it feeling now?" she asked, gently feeling Ro's nose before standing back to examine it from a distance. "It might be a little bit wonky now, I'm not really sure. It doesn't look bad though. You're still bleeding, but that'll stop by itsel-"

"Are you making a mess in my bathroom?"

Ro spun around at the gloomy sounding voice, and let out an alarmed shout when she saw who it belonged to. The ghost of a girl probably no older than Ro was floating at head-height, observing Ro with an air of vague curiosity.

After a stunned pause, Millicent spoke in a trembling voice. "Myrtle?" she asked hesitantly, "Is that you?"

The ghost wrinkled her nose. "Forgotten about me already, have you? I'm not surprised, no-one ever remembered poor, lonely Myrtle."

Ro could only stare with shock. Pieces of information were now fitting together in her mind like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. They were in the first floor girls' toilets, the ghost looked their age and was wearing what Ro now recognised as Ravenclaw robes, and Millicent – another Ravenclaw – had called her Myrtle. There was no other explanation; the ghost was that of Myrtle Warren, who had been killed in the bathroom by whatever had petrified Poppy and nearly killed Professor Merrythought.

It seemed Myrtle had noticed Ro's stare, as she suddenly zoomed forwards so she was less than a foot from Ro's face. "What are you looking at?" she demanded. Her tone was surprisingly intimidating, especially considering that Ro could see Irma's equally stunned expression through Myrtle's head.

Ro was about to mumble out a reply, when Septima butted in with a clearly false smile. "We were just surprised to see you after all this time!" she said, her gaze flickering around everyone else in an obvious plea for backup. "How have you been?"

"I've been dead." Myrtle said, fixing Septima with an unimpressed look.

Septima's smile faltered. "Right, I suppose you have."

"And no-one ever came to visit," Myrtle was now wailing, fat teardrops rolling down from behind her glasses. "Not even on my death-iversaries, and there have been TWO of them! TWO death-iversaries and not one person came to see me!"

With a high-pitched sob, Myrtle swooped down into one of the toilet cubicles. There was a large splash, followed by a wave of water flowing from under the toilet door, and the sound of Myrtle's crying echoed around the otherwise quiet bathroom.

After a while of astounded silence, Minerva broke the stillness by glancing down and saying indignantly "You flicked nose-blood onto my cardigan."

Ro couldn't stop her laughter, even though it made her stomachache worse. Minerva's grey woolly cardigan was now flecked with drops of red, and there were even a couple of spots on her chin.

"Well then," Ro said, wiping her face gingerly with the back of her hand, "I've been thrown by the wind practically straight into three Professors, had my nose broken my one of my now worst enemies, and been given the shock of my life by someone who died two years ago. Not how I thought the day would go."

Irma let out a short laugh, an ironic smile on her face. "Just a regular day at Hogwarts then!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _I actually had this chapter finished a couple of days ago, but I couldn't post it because my internet was down. Anyway, I freaking love this chapter! I've been waiting for so long to write it, and I enjoyed every moment while doing it (probably why I finished it so quickly!)._

 _I do love all the Quidditch team members, even if now there are only two actual canon characters. Nancy's so tomboyish, similar to Ro in some ways, Ernest is very loyal and dedicated, and Larry's just a real sweetheart (I'm very fond of him). Our newest members Cleatus and Anthea are less fleshed out yet, but Cleatus is quite stubborn and incredibly determined, and Anthea is more shy but tougher than she appears to be. They're a great bunch of characters who are such fun to write about. And we've got Marilyn back now, who appeared briefly during the first-year chapters. I really liked what I'd written of her so took the opportunity to bring her back._

 _The bit about Quidditch Captains keeping their Snitches isn't canon, though it's kind of hinted by the fact that James Potter is often seen playing with a Snitch. Since he was never a Seeker, how would he get it if it wasn't a Captain thing? Anyway, it might not be realistic but it's a little detail that I liked._

 _The Slytherin bullies prove they're definitely back with a vengeance, though no Druella this time (which was a little odd). From a writing perspective I love to hate them- fantastic characters, awful human beings. What really made me smile though is how our girls react to them- the 'Irma' voice in my head surprised me with that line and I had to roll with it. And Ro... she was never going to get out of that unscathed but she really does give as good as she gets._

 _That bathroom scene was insanely fun. I could nitpick all my favourite bits all day, but my favourite thing to imagine would be Septima sitting in the sink. It made me laugh for some reason. And don't worry, this most definitely isn't the last time we'll be seeing Moaning Myrtle._

 _Just a quickie for anyone who doesn't know what 'fistycuffs' means (because it is a very British word), it's just a slang word for physical conflict. One of my favourite words, and it sounded like something Ro would say._

 _The next chapter is an equally fun one, though may not be out for another two weeks. Although all my college exams are done (finally!) I've got an assignment to hand in at the beginning of July, and because I'm on a residential for the last week of June I have to get it done this week. Plus I've been drafted in as a reserve for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, so I'll have to get my entry finished by next weekend. But I promise chapter 35 will be worth the wait!_


	35. A Frosty Reception

_December 1945_

* * *

The terrible weather that had plagued the Quidditch match showed no sign of relenting as the next week went by; Septima and the Ravenclaw team endured very similar conditions in their match against Hufflepuff the following weekend. To Poppy, it seemed like the rain was never going to end. The downpours had started just before Halloween with scarcely a dry day since, and it didn't look like it was going to change any time soon.

As November turned into December the weather did change, but not in the way that everyone was expecting. Thunderstorms became snowstorms, with swirling clouds of snowflakes outside every window and a thick white blanket covering the grounds. There was a biting chill to the air that seemed to seep into the castle no matter how many torches were lit in the corridors. Unless Poppy remembered to put on a thick pair of socks before she went to sleep, she would wake up in the middle of the night with toes so cold she could hardly feel them.

It was quickly turning into the coldest winter in living memory. Not even Professor Dippet could remember a time quite so cold, but the ghosts liked to swoop in unexpectedly reeling off medieval dates whenever they heard students complaining. Nearly-Headless Nick seemed particularly fond of telling anything that moved about the winter before he almost lost his head, so both people and portraits learned to keep quiet when he was around.

The workload seemed to relax a great deal as the end of term approached, which was a welcome break from the hectic fourth year schedule. After a great deal of pestering Professor Aurelius finally agreed to teach them the charm she used to decorate the Christmas trees in the Great Hall, leaving the Charms classroom looking incredibly festive at the end of each lesson. Professor Dumbledore showed them a simple spell to add ice skates onto any pair of shoes, and even the stern Professor Harper allowed them to write Christmas cards in the Elder Futhark runic alphabet that they had been studying that term.

But it wasn't just the more festive lessons that were capturing people's attentions. In their last lesson before the holiday, Professor Dumbledore told the class about one of the most complicated branches of his subject- Animagi. Poppy herself found the concept fascinating, as she had often dreamed of turning into a bird and flying away as she lay ill in bed as a child, but that was nothing compared to Minerva's captivation. Her green eyes were wide and almost unblinking as she watched the Professor talk; Minerva had always been particularly interested by Transfiguration, but Poppy couldn't remember her ever being quite this engaged.

The moment that they returned to their dormitory during the lunch break after that lesson, Minerva was digging through her vast collection of Transfiguration books in their bookcase. "I can't find anything in any of these about how to become an Animagus," she complained to Poppy while Ro was in the bathroom.

"Well the Professor did say it was especially complicated," Poppy said, pulling a comb through her blonde curls. "Maybe they don't put it in many books because they don't want people trying it out."

"But I do want to try it out!" Minerva said, just as Ro opened the dormitory door.

"Did I hear that right?" Ro asked, staring at Minerva. "You want to learn to become an Animagus?" When Minerva nodded, Ro let out a groan. "But Min, it takes months! And there's loads of legal stuff involved- you have to get the Ministry's permission if you're underage, and you have to be put on a special register too."

To Poppy's dismay, Minerva didn't look discouraged in the slightest. "I still want to do it," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose with an air of stubbornness. "I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore over the weekend, and I'll try and find more books in the library tomorrow morning. Do you think there'll be anything helpful there?"

"Well if there it, Irma will know where to find it!" Ro pointed out, making them all laugh.

Poppy, Ro, Irma, Septima and Millicent all went with Minerva to the library the next morning on the hunt for more Animagus books. Their search turned out to be fruitless, as between the six of them they had covered almost the entire library after a couple of hours. Irma was volunteered to ask Mr Pratchett for help, since the sheer amount of time Irma spent in the library meant she'd know the gruff old librarian best. But he told her that all the books were in the Restricted Section, where they wouldn't be able to get to them without a teacher's signature.

Minerva sighed at the news. "It's alright- I suppose you were right, Poppy. I'll still talk to Professor Dumbledore after dinner. I'm sure he'll be willing to help."

"Well don't be there too long, we're going into Hogsmeade tomorrow!" Ro reminded her with a grin.

The upcoming weekend had been picked as a Hogsmeade weekend, before the Hogwarts Express came on the Monday to take home all those not staying over Christmas. Since they hadn't been able to go in third year and usual October one had been cancelled due to more awful weather, this was to be the fourth years' first time in the village. There was an air of buzzing excitement in the Great Hall during dinner that evening; at the Gryffindor table, Larry, Cleatus and Maggie enthralled the fourth and third years with accounts of what they had got up to in Hogsmeade during their third year.

Minerva went along to Professor Dumbledore's office as soon as she had finished with a bright smile on her face. Poppy and Ro went up to the dormitory not long later after bidding Irma, Septima and Millicent goodbye, all wanting to get an early night. But they arrived to see Minerva sat on her bed wearing a look not far short from devastation; after a shared look of concern they squeezed in either side of her.

"He said I can't learn," Minerva murmured, her solemn voice barely audible. "Said I'm too young, it's too dangerous. He would consider having a rethink when I'm taking my NEWTS."

Although Poppy wasn't surprised in the slightest, she still felt incredibly sorry for Minerva after she'd been so hopeful. "Oh Min," she sighed, draping an arm around Minerva's shoulder.

"At least he said you might be able to do it when you're older," Ro offered. "We're only fifteen, and I still can't even turn a porcupine into a pincushion. You'll probably find it loads easier in a couple of year's time."

Minerva nodded with a sighed "Mhm," but didn't look consoled in the slightest.

Poppy was at loss about what to do, not used to seeing Minerva feeling so down, until her attention was shifted to Ro sliding off the bed and going over to her trunk. After a few seconds with her head in her trunk, she gave a noise of triumph and reappeared holding a pack of cards. "Exploding Snap before bed?" she asked cheerfully.

Five games later, all three of them were covered in soot and laughing brightly. Though there was still a sadness behind Minerva's smile, it reassured Poppy to see her having fun despite her disappointment.

At eleven o'clock sharp on Sunday morning, the Entrance Hall was an ocean of House scarves as students lined up to go to Hogsmeade. The snow had finally stopped and the weather was warmer than it had been for at least a fortnight, but it was still incredibly cold. Poppy was bundled up in a thick sweater her mother had sent her as well as her duffel coat and two pairs of socks under her boots. Everyone else looked very similar, though Millicent and Ro both had the addition of woollen hats over their hair. Irma was shivering in only a thin-looking trench coat, so Minerva quickly ran back to Gryffindor Tower to fetch one of her many cardigans which she took gratefully. It took a long time for Filch to check out each student on the lengthy register, but once they were all cleared it was a short walk from the castle gates down to the village.

Poppy's first impression of Hogsmeade was that it looked like it belonged on one of the Christmas cards her mother always adorned the mantelpiece with in December. The shops and cottages were covered in a thick topping of snow, as was the massive Christmas tree in the High Street, and there were wreaths of holly and pinecones on nearly every door.

"Imagine living here!" Millicent exclaimed, steam coming from her mouth as she spoke. "Isn't it amazing!"

Poppy would have been happy spending their entire trip just exploring the beautiful village, but Ro was already running in the direction of the shops. "We haven't got all day, let's go and see the shops!" she called back, leaving the others to follow on behind her.

They visited Honeydukes first, which was so packed with customers that it took them a while to push through to reach the shelves. Poppy brought a box of Pumpkin Fizzes and Fudge Flies to send home to her parents for Christmas, and Millicent brought a few Mice Pops for her sister. Ro, on the other hand, decided to buy a packed of Pepper Imps that supposedly made you breathe fire even though Irma advised her against it after reading the ingredients. Next was Zonko's Joke Shop, where not even Minerva could resist buying a Nose-biting Teacup after Ro suggested they could trick Malcolm and Emery with them. They went into Spintwitches Sporting Needs next because Septima wanted to get herself a pair of Quidditch goggles like Ro's, followed by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop to top up on school supplies. Ro dragged them into the little repair shop, Dervish and Banges, to get her Sneakoscope repaired, before they were done with their shopping.

The cold had managed to penetrate even Poppy's warm coat by then, and Irma's teeth were chattering as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "Let's go into the Three Broomsticks," Septima suggested with a shiver, "we can warm up in there."

When they opened the door of the Three Broomsticks they were hit by a welcoming wave of warmth, accompanied by a quiet groan as Minerva's glasses steamed up. There was a fire roaring in the open hearth that casted a flickering golden glow across the inn. Although it was busy there were still a few smaller tables vacant, so Ro and Millicent pushed two tables together while Minerva, Irma and Septima went to get drinks. Poppy had just found the final two chairs when they returned with six foaming tankards of an amber coloured liquid. Peeling off coats and scarves, they flopped back into their chairs and Poppy sighed as her aching feet were given a rest.

Millicent peered curiously into her tankard. "What is it?"

"Butterbeer- glorious stuff. Cheers, m'dears," Ro said, everyone lifting their tankards to chink them together before taking a drink. Poppy tried a gentle sip, feeling the warmth sink into the pit of her stomach. It tasted nothing like she had ever tasted before; like the glow of sunset or a fire in winter.

The sound of Septima bursting into laughter made her look up to see foam moustaches on each of their faces. Ro even had a blob on the end of her nose, though considering the great swig she had taken Poppy wasn't surprised. Most comical of all was Irma, who had gone slightly cross eyed trying to see the foam below her hooked nose. By the time her tankard was empty and she'd licked all the foam from her upper lip, Poppy was feeling warmer than she had done all day.

There was still an hour before they had to be back at Hogwarts, so after piling their outer layers of clothing back on upon leaving the inn, they decided to explore. First they wandered around the other streets of the village, where everything was so quiet and still that talking seemed to spoil it. After returning to the High Street and peering into the Wizarding Wireless Headquarters building for a few minutes, they opted to take the long and scenic route back to the castle. But when they passed the frozen Black Lake, they saw with surprise that there were several Hogwarts students skating over it.

"They must be using that Transfiguration spell that Professor Dumbledore taught us!" Minerva said, watching the skaters intently.

Loud footsteps approaching them made Poppy look around just in time to see several Gryffindors rushing past and skidding right out onto the lake. "Come and join us!" Nancy Campbell shouted, beckoning to them before skating quickly off with Anthea Newton following more slowly.

There was quiet for a moment, before Ro spoke. "Well, shall we? We know the spell."

"Do you think it's safe?" asked Poppy instantly, eyeing the icy surface suspiciously.

"Looks safe enough, it's holding their weight without a problem." Millicent nodded, already pulling her wand out of her pocket.

Minerva didn't look quite so keen, and Poppy was suddenly reminded of her strong fear and hatred of water. It seemed Ro had picked up on this too, as after Transfiguring skates onto her shoes she put a hand on Minerva's shoulder. "We'll stay with you, no-one's going to get wet." Minerva smiled unconvincingly, and held on tight to Poppy and Ro's hands when they first ventured out onto the lake.

Millicent was clearly in her element, laughing joyfully as she twirled around on the ice with Septima not far behind. Irma was a little slower, though her almost balletic elegance portrayed a confidence that Poppy envied. Ro zoomed in wide circles around them, flying over the ice almost as fast as she did over the Quidditch pitch. Poppy was content staying with Minerva, holding both hands to keep each other steady as they moved slowly in random directions.

As it happened, Poppy was facing the wrong way when disaster finally struck. All she remembered was a warning screech from Ro, the sound of skates grating over ice, and a painful thump when Irma hit the ice.

"Irma!" Septima cried out, hurrying over to her sister who was struggling to sit up without slipping.

"Irma," Minerva said, but with a more grave tone of voice. She touched her neck when Irma looked up at her, which must have had a significance Poppy wasn't aware of as Irma suddenly gasped. She fumbled around her own neck, then looked down at her lap with an expression of growing alarm. On her lap was a long golden chain, which would have been perfectly normal without the intricate egg timer attached to it.

It wasn't just Poppy who had noticed the chain. Ro was staring undisguised at it, hardly blinking or breathing. "What is that?" she asked in a voice hardly louder than a hiss.

Irma said nothing. If Poppy didn't know her better, she would have said Irma looked scared, sat on the ice in the face of Ro's fury.

"It's a Time-Turner." Minerva said after a short silence, pulling an identical chain from beneath her coat. "It's how Irma and I have both been doing five extra subjects since last September. Professor Dumbledore gave me mine, and Professor Slughorn gave Irma's to her."

The mystery of how Minerva and Irma had been managing all their classes was finally solved, but at that moment there were more pressing matters on Poppy's mind. Ro was looking between Minerva and Irma as if seeing them both in a new light, anger in every line of her body. The temperature seemed to drop considerably as she whispered "And you didn't think to tell us?"

"We couldn't." Minerva continued, her tone slightly wary. "The Professors forbade it."

Ro stalked towards Minerva so that their faces were inches apart. "Do you not realise," she said, her voice now starting to rise, "what you could have done with that thing if you'd not kept it secret? Did it not occur to you that you could have used it for something more important than doing more subjects?"

Poppy had no idea what she was talking about, until Ro's next words made her heart freeze. "My Mum is dead, and you could have stopped it!" There was an echoing crack, and Poppy restrained a horrified gasp as the ice beneath Ro's feet fractured in a spider's web of dark lines.

Minerva's glasses had smashed too, littering the ice with slivers of glass. "Ro, no, that's not how it works" she said desperately, pushing the empty frames into her pocket and blinking a couple of times. "Don't you think we'd have done something- anything!- if we could have done?"

"You chose keeping the Professors' secret over saving my Mum's life. Both of you." Ro said quietly, taking a step back from the centre of the cracks. She looked at Irma now, who just about managed to hold Ro's gaze. "I don't know why we ever trusted you. You're just like the others- selfish and thoughtless and as bad as the rest of the Blacks."

"Don't you dare!" Septima shouted, stepping in front of Irma and pointing an accusatory finger at Ro. "Don't you speak about my sister like that!"

Ro ignored her, turning to face Minerva again. "And you," she began as Poppy held her breath. "You betrayed me. You were meant to be my teammate, my friend, and you betrayed me. Don't talk to me again."

With that she walked away; Poppy went to try and follow, but a sharp yellow glare was enough to stop her in her tracks.

"Ro, wait!" Minerva called, skating forwards over the breaks in the ice that she could no longer see.

Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion, like in one of those film strips that Poppy's father had taken her to see over the summer. There was a series of louder cracks as the ice split under Minerva's skates; Minerva's expression changed from worry to terror before she plummeted into the grey water.

Poppy was down on her knees in an instant, screaming Minerva's name into the jagged hole. Someone grabbed her under the arms and started to pull her away, making her struggle to try and get free.

"Don't put yourself in danger!" Cleatus Weasley's voice sounded close to her ear.

"But she can't swim!" Poppy cried in despair, fighting even harder. "She can't swim, she'll drown in there!"

They were now surrounded by the other Hogwarts students, who had evidently come to see what the commotion was about. Nancy and Ernest Lawrence were looking down into the hole and talking in urgent voices, while an agitated Larry looked seconds away from diving in after her. Maggie had positioned herself between the hole and Irma, Septima and Millicent; Irma was still on the ice, her hands over her mouth, while Septima and Millicent clung to each other in fright.

"What do we do?" Anthea croaked, breaking off in a shriek as water suddenly flooded from the hole.

A long pink tentacle emerged from the water and gripped the surface of the ice, followed by a second. Then several more pink arms appeared, wrapped around something that was unmoving and dripping with water.

"It's the Giant Squid!" Nancy shouted, scrabbling backwards as more icy water was splashed everywhere. "And it's got Minerva!" Poppy's chest constricted as she realised Nancy was right. The Squid lay Minerva down on the ice, before slithering back into the hole and out of sight.

Cleatus' grip slackened and Poppy managed to break free, rushing over to Minerva and crouching down beside her. Her skin was so pale it was almost grey-tinged, though her fingertips were reddening and her lips were blue. When Poppy lifted her wrist to find a pulse, her throat tightened at the stone-like coldness of her hand.

"Is she breathing?" asked Irma in a trembling voice.

Her question was answered when Minerva jerked into life, struggling to sit as she hacked up numerous mouthfuls of water. Green eyes were wide with panic and pain as she breathed raggedly, her whole body heaving with the effort. Poppy rubbed her back in gentle but firm motions, and after a minute or so her breathing slowed down and she slumped backwards in exhaustion.

"We need to warm her up," she said, her medical knowledge slowly returning after her mind-blanking panic. "Someone help me get her coat off."

Irma was nearest, so once Poppy had unbuttoned the coat Irma slid it out from underneath her. Septima was taking off her own coat, and with a grateful nod Poppy wrapped it around Minerva's still form.

A light in the corner of her eye and a whispered incantation made Poppy glance over to see Anthea holding a small blue fire in her palm. She knelt down next to Poppy and went to place it down on the ice, but at Joseph Prewett's sharp voice she lifted it back up again. "You'll melt the ice!" he pointed out with a frown.

Anthea shook her head. "It's bluebell flame, it'll only heat Minerva."

Illuminated by the flickering blue light, Poppy could see that Minerva's previously still form had started shivering violently. Although she looked a lot worse, Poppy knew that it was a positive sign. Taking a steadying breath, she looked up at the concerned faces around her. "She needs to get to the Hospital Wing."

"I'll carry her," Larry offered instantly, bending down to scoop Minerva into his arms. He staggered slightly under her weight, before setting off as fast as he could towards the castle.

Poppy helped Irma to her feet, holding onto her elbow as they crossed the lake. Once they were safely on solid ground, she stopped for a moment to look back over her shoulder.

Ro was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _I am so sorry this is so late D: Life decided it would be a good time to hit me in the face with a frying pan. Also, for anyone who was concerned, I would never abandon this fanfic without posting a note. So if there's no note, there's a chapter on the way._

 _Despite the angst at the end, I did like this chapter. I think as time's gone on I've become a lot more relaxed when writing the main six, as I feel I know them a lot better now than I did so many months ago. Hence we get more emotional stuff. One of the reasons why I decided to do this was that it seemed unrealistic to me that we have six girls who have been friends for over three years without a single argument. Now I went to an all-girls school between the ages of 7 and 16, and let me tell you that it is impossible to have an all female friendship group without any arguments._

 _I can't think of any more chapter related notes right now, but I'll add any later if they come to mind._

 _As of tomorrow I am officially finished at college for the year (whoop whoop!) but I'm performing in a stage show on saturday and I have a few bits of coursework I have to get emailed early next week. But I'm going away for two weeks starting the 25th of July, so I'm aiming to get a chapter out before I go and have a chapter ready for when I get back. The goal is to get fourth year finished by September._

 _Since this is chapter 35 and I tend to allocate 10 chapters per school year (meaning 70 chapters total), this technically marks the halfway point of this fanfic. I'm taking the opportunity to say how grateful I am for every single view, review, follow and fav that this story has got. I never expected the idea I had at midnight last September to become quite this popular, so thank you very much :)_


	36. Silent Nights

_December 1945_

* * *

The first thing she remembered was the fear that paralyzed her mind.

Then came the cold, so shocking and unexpected that she instinctively gasped. Her lungs burned as her chest filled with water.

She tried to struggle upwards, but her thick coat dragged her down. She was soundlessly screaming, drowning, dying.

Her already blurred vision darkened around the edges as she realised this was the end.

She vaguely remembered something grabbing hold of her, but she didn't have the energy to care.

Everything went blank for a moment, then the intense pressure on her vanished and she could suddenly hear again.

The burning in her chest intensified until it was a scorching fire. Desperation clawed at her mind as she tried to expel it, but she couldn't get the air in.

She was numb, confused, and more scared than she could ever remember being in her life.

The last thing she remembered properly was being hoisted into someone's strong arms, and then there was nothing.

* * *

The first thing Minerva noted was that she didn't feel cold anymore. Instead she felt wonderfully warm, lying on something soft with what felt like a thick blanket piled on top of her. Her chest still felt heavy and her head hurt, assuring her that she was actually still alive and not in the Heaven that her father often spoke of. There was silence around her, though it was a comfortable quiet, disturbed only by the sound of someone turning a page in a book every so often.

She opened her eyes, and attempted to lift her head, though sank back into her pillow with a quiet groan when her chest tightened painfully. She was in the Hospital Wing, she could now see, tucked into one of the beds nearest to Madame Quinine's office. In an attempt to relieve the pain in her chest she sucked in a deep breath, slowly filling her aching lungs with oxygen. The feel of someone's hand touching hers startled her; her breath hitched in her throat and she started to cough painfully, her chest heaving with the effort.

"Here," said a familiar voice, and suddenly there was Irma propping her up and lifting a glass of water to her lips.

Minerva drank a few sips and her throat relaxed, allowing her to breathe easier. "Thanks," she whispered, shuffling backwards to lean against the head of the bed.

Irma sat down in a chair next to the bed, taking care not to knock off a thick book that was balanced precariously on the arm. Minerva realised that it had been that she'd heard- Irma had obviously been reading by her bed for a fair amount of time. "How long have you been here?" she asked, her voice a cracked rasp.

Glancing up at the Hospital Wing clock, Irma replied "About half an hour."

"Where's everyone else?" Minerva asked, looking around to check there was definitely no-one else with them. She was surprised that Poppy at the least hadn't been there, as her medical aptitude meant she usually wanted to be involved whenever someone was injured.

"In lessons," Irma said, tugging at the gold chain of her Time-Turner. "I'm guilty of abusing this again, I'm actually in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes right now. We all begged to be excused from lessons but Professor Dumbledore said you shouldn't be disturbed, and Madame Quinine agreed with him."

"Lessons?" Minerva echoed, squinting in a failed attempt to read what time it was from the clock on the far wall. It was only then she remembered she needed a new pair of glasses, making a mental note to owl her mother about it. "How long have I been here?"

Irma laughed. "Just over 24 hours. Today's Monday and it's the last lesson of the day, then term ends for Christmas." She paused, then added "I expect the others will be here as soon as lessons finished."

Minerva nodded vaguely, then properly processed what Irma had said. Their terrible argument suddenly came flooding back- her chest constricted again though it was nothing to do with her recovering lungs. "How is everyone?" she asked awkwardly, not really knowing how to word the question.

Thankfully, Irma seemed to know what she meant. "Ro's made herself scarce. She didn't sleep in your dormitory last night, at every meal she's eaten as quickly as possible before leaving, and in lessons she's sat as far away from us as possible. Poppy's more upset than anything else. Millicent thinks everyone needs to talk it though, but Septima's still fuming and won't listen."

"And you?" Minerva said as softly as her harsh voice could manage, taking hold of Irma's hand. Even in her weary state, she could sense the internal conflict rolling from Irma in waves.

Irma swallowed hard and averted her gaze. "I wonder whether she's really wrong or not. I must be at least a little like the other Blacks, or I wouldn't be in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat thought so, anyway."

Minerva frowned, not liking what she was hearing. "How long did your Sorting take?"

"4 minutes and 50 seconds, so I'm told."

"Then you're obviously not just like them, or there wouldn't have been any debate." Minerva said, moving her head with difficulty so Irma was forced to meet her eyes. "We all know how rash and... insensitive Ro can be; yesterday she was angry and took it out on us. She didn't think about what she was saying, just said whatever came into her mind first. We're all your friends, Irma, and until you start believing we like you for who you are then we'll keep reminding you."

Nodding slightly and just about managing to smile, Irma briefly squeezed Minerva's hand in thanks. Minerva suddenly felt exhausted and her breathing became more difficult; her little speech to Irma had wiped out what little energy she had left.

Irma's expression changed from gratitude to concern instantly. "Do you need some more sleep? You're not looking too good all of a sudden."

Minerva nodded wordlessly, accepting Irma's help to shuffle forwards so she could lie down again. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open, and the soft warmth of the bed beneath her only made the struggle worse.

"I'll stay here until you're asleep," Irma said, smiling down at Minerva before settling back in her chair. Minerva barely managed a sound of acknowledgement before fatigue crashed down over her.

It could have been minutes or hours before Minerva became vaguely aware that someone was sitting on the end of her bed. When she realised she could hear someone crying, she kept her eyes closed but listened intently. It felt like the worst form of eavesdropping, but she had her suspicions about who was with her and she knew she'd find out more by pretending to be asleep.

"I'm so sorry," the voice sniffed, "I know you miss her too and you'd have done anything to help. I was stupid and selfish, and you might have died but I didn't do anything. I just ran away and didn't do anything!"

Minerva cracked open an eye just as Ro broke into sobs. Her heart clenched with an intense mixture of sorrow and relief; she hadn't lost Ro forever, there was still a chance to make things right between them.

"This is all my fault," Ro choked out between breaths, her head in her hands. "Why do I have to lose everyone who loves me? Oh Merlin what have I done, what have I done?"

Unable to listen any longer, Minerva shifted her foot slightly to poke Ro's leg. With a gasp her head wrenched up, looking around wildly until her eyes found Minerva looking at her. She started to back away, and it was only when Minerva called out her name that she stopped.

"I shouldn't be here," Ro stammered, still looking like she could bolt at any given second. Minerva wouldn't have minded that if it weren't for the fact she was in no state to go chasing after her.

"Yes, you should." Minerva said, breathing heavily as she sat up. An onlooker might have thought her bluntness inappropriate, but Minerva knew that Ro wouldn't appreciate being pandered to. "Won't you sit down?"

Ro perched awkwardly on the edge of the bed, close enough that her face was in focus without Minerva's glasses being necessary. It was only then that Minerva was able to get a good look at her. Ro's eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears, making the yellow irises even more striking than usual. There were red blotches on her cheeks and dark circles beneath her eyes, making it obvious that she'd managed very little sleep the previous night.

"Min, I-"

"Shh," Minerva ploughed over her, leaning forward with difficulty and pulling her into a hug. Ro stiffened for a moment, before throwing her arms around Minerva's neck and crying her heart out into the ugly white hospital gown. Minerva didn't say anything, just held onto the shuddering form of her friend until the sobs subsided into a gentle trembling.

After a long while she drew back, rubbing her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "How can you forgive me?" she asked brokenly in a very un-Ro-like style.

"There's nothing to forgive," Minerva insisted quietly. She believed it too; Ro had every right to be angry, and in her ignorance she had genuinely believed for a moment that her mother could have been saved. "We were both in the wrong. Just promise me one thing?"

"Hmm?"

"Either get the glass-cracking under control, or learn a spell to make my glasses shatterproof!"

Ro returned Minerva's grin with a shaky smile of her own, leaning forward to give Minerva a much gentler embrace.

Ro stayed with Minerva until she was dismissed from the Hospital Wing an hour later. Poppy joined them as Madame Quinine gave Minerva a final check-over, greeting a hesitant Ro with a warm embrace. She'd brought a bundle of Minerva's clothes from the dormitory which she changed into, as well as a small package from Minerva's mother.

"Professor Dippet owled them almost as soon as we got you back," she said as Minerva quickly read the attached letter. "I mentioned about your glasses, so that's probably a new pair for you."

Poppy was right; beneath several sheets of brown paper was a new pair of glasses. They weren't quite the same as her old square ones though, as the frame turned up slightly where it was attached to the arms. Minerva sighed with relief as she put them on and the world came into focus for the first time that day.

"They're called horn-rimmed, apparently they're in fashion in the Muggle world." Minerva said, looking into the mirror that Madame Quinine had fetched. "Robbie thought they'd suit me."

"Well he was right," Poppy laughed. "Come on, if we go now we'll be just in time for dinner."

When Minerva, Poppy and Ro arrived together at the Gryffindor table, there was great deal of commotion as the rest of the House welcomed her back. Malcolm almost fell over the bench in his haste to reach his sister, making Minerva laugh at his enthusiasm. More surprising was when Larry followed him, letting out a relieved breath when he saw her and holding her close when they hugged. Minerva was touched, but the moment was destroyed when they broke apart and caught sight of Malcolm and Winston's identical disgusted expressions.

"What?" Minerva asked, struggling to contain her laughter.

Malcolm scowled. "Stop being mushy," he muttered.

Winston nodded in agreement. "We saw him carrying you up the Grand Staircase. It was like you were in a fairytale."

Minerva glanced at Larry, who looked away with a sheepish smile. She could just about remember someone holding her in their arms, but the memory was vague. "That was you?"

"You remember that?" he asked, his cheeks reddening when she nodded. "Well, someone had to," he murmured.

"Minerva's back!" shouted Millicent's voice, and Minerva looked around to see her and Septima racing towards them. Larry moved back as they went to hug her, but they never got that far before Septima froze in place.

"Hey," said Ro in a strangled voice.

Millicent's expression was torn as she looked between Septima and Ro. "Hi Ro," she said, her voice carefully neutral.

There was no reply as Septima and Ro continued their staring match. "Septima, I'm really sorry," Ro said after moment's silence, and Minerva only needed to hear the raw emotion in her voice to know she truly meant it.

"It's not me you should be apologising to." Septima said roughly, crossing her arms.

"She already has done, Septima." Irma had slipped though the small crowd to stand beside Ro, looking firmly at her sister. "What's done is done. Let's move on."

Septima held Irma's gaze for a moment, then dropped it with a sigh. "Then I'm ok," she said, giving Ro a nod. Ro's worried frown changed into a small smile.

As more people started to enter the Hall they took their usual seats at the Gryffindor Table, though Minerva noticed that Ro sat herself as far as she could from Minerva, Irma or Septima. It was going to take a little while for things to return to normal between them, but Minerva was glad that they were making progress.

The Hogwarts Express arrived the next morning, leaving the castle emptier than it had been since the Christmas of their second year. Irma, Septima and Millicent moved into Gryffindor Tower as usual, though it wasn't nearly as awkward as Minerva feared. Millicent was already acting as if nothing had happened and Septima proved to be readily forgiving; it was just Irma who was acting more detached than usual. It reminded Minerva of how she'd been during their first year before they were properly friends, meaning there was hope of her warming back up to them before too long.

Learning from the previous Christmas' mistake, they asked for Professor Dumbledore's help with moving the trunks from the Dungeons and Ravenclaw Tower into the Gryffindor dormitory. The job took less than five minutes, as opposed to the painful half an hour it had taken for Ro and Irma to manually move her trunk up from the Dungeons. But when all the girls were installed into the dormitory, Professor Dumbledore surprised Minerva by asking to talk to her in his office.

After Minerva assured him she was fully recovered from her dip in the lake, the Professor quickly moved onto the topic in hand. "Miss McGonagall, I've been thinking about the request you made over the weekend," he started, motioning for her to take a seat. "I fear I may have been a little hasty. I was merely surprised that a student so young would want to learn such a complicated and rare skill. I hope I haven't discouraged you?"

"No, sir, not at all," Minerva said, her heartbeat quickening.

"Since our discussion I've been in contact with a few people. The Headmistress of Uagadou School of Magic assured me that her students are given the option to learn from age 14, so she thinks it perfectly suitable if the proper precautions are taken. Madame Tuft of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, where the Animagi Register is kept, agreed with her. You will, however, need permission from your parents before we begin."

Minerva nodded, a grin splitting her face. "I'll owl them right away," she just about managed to stammer over her excitement.

There was a twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eye as he said "I already have." He pulled a roll of parchment from his desk draw and showed her the signatures of both her parents.

"When can I start?" Minerva said, tearing her gaze from the letter back to Professor Dumbledore.

"The first stage of the process is the longest, and though it is the simplest many call it the worst. To start of the process of the transformation, you are required to hold the leaf of a Mandrake in your mouth for a full month. It means you won't be able to talk for that time, and you'll have to be careful when eating. I have been advised that large quantities of soup are recommended."

He chuckled as Minerva pulled an involuntary face. "For that reason, I suggest you begin near the end of the Christmas holiday. You'll be able to enjoy Christmas to the full, and you'll be able to talk again in plenty of time for your next Quidditch match. Professor Dippet recommends people are informed you have a throat illness during the month you cannot talk, to avoid other people requesting to learn also. You must understand this is a very difficult skill to learn, and it would be out of the question if I didn't think you talented enough."

Minerva nodded seriously. "But can I tell my friends?"

"Yes, you will need their support during this preparation. It may also be wise to inform your Quidditch Team, though I can do this if you wish." His serious expression cleared as he continued "I think I have covered everything you need to know today, Miss McGonagall. Enjoy your holiday, and I will be in touch with you when I think we are ready to begin."

"Thank you, sir." Minerva nodded, sensing her dismissal and seeing herself out of the office.

When she returned to Gryffindor Tower, the others were overjoyed for her. Poppy was still concerned, but relaxed considerably when Minerva told her about the Uagadou students. It was clear that there had been a proper conversation between the remaining five while Minerva had been away, as the tension between them had nearly melted away.

"So," Millicent started, amusingly oblivious to the fact that Godric was chewing one of her pigtails from her shoulder. "We've already had our drama this holiday-"

"-you could say that again." Irma interrupted quietly, a wry smile on her face that brought immense relief to Minerva.

Millicent continued after a snort of laughter. "Well, yes. But going by previous Christmases, that should mean we're in for a nicely uneventful Christmas."

"You know what?" said Ro with a thoughtful frown. "Normally I'd think that sounds boring. But after this year we could all do with some peace and quiet for once."

Poppy nodded. "This Christmas is going to be the best one yet!

And for many reasons, it was. They went to bed early that night because Ro looked in danger of falling asleep standing up and Poppy said Minerva still needed rest. There was less than a week remaining before Christmas, which was spent almost entirely indoors due to the persistent snowy weather.

To pass the time they became experts of the various different wizarding games. There were countless Exploding Snap tournaments which left the dormitory smelling like lightly charred wood, Poppy winning nearly every single one of them. One evening they joined Lyall Lupin and Stanley Sanders in the Common Room for a game of gobstones, which was fun at first but quickly became dull. The highlight of the game was Ro got a faceful of awful-smelling gunk, which happened relatively frequently as her aim was so awful.

After gobstones truly lost its appeal, their attention switched to Wizarding Chess. As three of the six of them had their own sets, it was easy for everyone to play at once. Poppy and Millicent were both a little shocked by the brutality of the game, but could pick it up fairly easily. Ro's board was the easiest to play with as it had been passed down between her siblings so was quite trusting of new players, but Septima's much more suspicious pieces quickly developed a particular dislike for Poppy's hesitance. Minerva enjoyed it the most of all the games they'd played though she wasn't very good at it, but Irma very quickly proved herself the reigning chess champion.

Christmas Day itself was a joy from start to finish. The chandelier incident of last Christmas was brought up frequently throughout the day, and the angry glares shot their way from the Black family while in the Great Hall made it clear they hadn't forgotten either. It was hours before they returned to the Gryffindor Common Room after their Christmas dinner, full to the brim and each wearing a very extravagant hat.

It was three days after Christmas when a note arrived for Minerva during breakfast, addressed in Professor Dumbledore's unmistakeable handwriting. When Minerva went to his office that evening as requested, he presented her with a small Mandrake leaf and the date of their next meeting. She returned to the dormitory, and sat on the floor between the beds with all her friends beside her.

"So no talking for a month?" Septima asked, eyeing the leaf.

Minerva shook her head. "But Professor Dumbledore said there's a spell he'll teach me so I can communicate."

"Right." Poppy said, her commanding tone catching everyone's attention. She was stood by the calendar pinned to the back of the dormitory door, quill in hand. "Today is Friday the 28th of December 1945. Your month finishes on," she turned the page over and stabbed a date with her quill, "Monday the 28th of January 1946."

"Good luck Min," Ro said with a smile.

Minerva sighed, taking the leaf into her hand. Feeling she should say something before she no longer had that option, she cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well then, I'll talk to you all next month!"

After a brief moment of laughter shared by them all, Minerva took a deep breath and put the leaf into her mouth.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _This was a fun chapter to write, particularly the beginning. I've probably taken a few liberties with the drowning description since I've never been in a similar situation, but I am a lifeguard in training so have an idea how drowning goes. Both the Hospital Wing scenes were good; I love the relationship between Irma and Minerva that has been slowly evolving for so long. Minerva's the one who understands her the most out of all of them, though Poppy comes a close second, which is probably why Irma's opened up to those two more than the rest of the girls. Even though the twins have a good relationship with each other, Irma wouldn't go to Septima with her worries like she might go to Minerva. It was odd but surprisingly easy to write Ro's emotional scene. Her feelings are so out there and boldy expressed that it comes very naturally- in that aspect she's the polar opposite of Irma._

 _I spent a lot of time thinking about how the girls would react to the previous chapter's argument. Poppy and Minerva both understand better than anyone how Ro will react without thinking when confronted with strong emotions, so they were both able to move on fairly easily. Millicent wasn't directly involved in the argument at all, so she too just wanted everyone to make amends. I think this also came from her not wanting her friendship group to be broken up like her family had recently been. For all her initial anger Septima doesn't like to hold grudges, once she was assured that Ro had apologised to her sister then she was ok with it. Irma is the opposite- she doesn't get loudly angry and won't generally argue back, but she harbours the comments people make about her and overthinks them a lot. Both the twins' reactions also stem from their home lives and in particular their father's abuse; Irma accepts what people have to say about her and will assume it's the truth, while Septima will argue until an apology has been made then will immediately forget._

 _Someone said in a review of the last chapter that they were getting attached to Larry, and I became very happy reading that. He is an absolute darling and I love him way more than I expected to when he first appeared. His importance in the story will only increase as it goes on, and I can't wait to see what you all think of it._

 _Were any of you surprised with Dumbledore's change of heart? I just thought that if the marauders could do it alone by fifth year then Minerva could do it with a teacher in fourth year. The thing about eating and talking while holding the Mandrake leaf in the mouth is made up by me, as it's never specified in canon but it seemed like common sense to me!_

 _I've rambled here too long. There will probably not be another chapter until early-mid august, as I'm away for two weeks. But I've finally decided on my plan for the rest of fourth year (I had some last minute brainwaves!) and I can promise it's all good fun :)_


	37. Making Adjustments

_January 1946_

* * *

The following month passed a lot quicker than Ro had anticipated. She hadn't really been sure how Minerva's silence would affect the rest of their group, since she was nowhere near as talkative as herself, Millicent and Septima. Timely remarks were more her style; dry comments spoken at the perfect time in the type of sarcasm that only Minerva could pull off so effortlessly.

It turned out that she could still be just as irritatingly witty even without the sly voice that usually accompanied it. Professor Dumbledore had taught her a spell that allowed her to write in midair using her wand, the golden letters bright enough to easily catch their attention. It wasn't long at all before they automatically looked out for a flash of fiery cursive during their conversations, allowing Minerva to participate just as well as she could normally.

The fact that the rest of the school though Minerva had a throat infection was a constant source of amusement to them all. Ro could barely contain her laughter whenever someone wished Minerva a speedy recovery, and it usually took Poppy standing on her toe or Minerva elbowing her in the side for her to be able to hold her tongue. She knew it was putting Minerva's secret at risk, but their misguided sympathy was too funny for her to keep a straight face.

The Quidditch Team were the only ones aside from her, Poppy, Millicent, Septima and Irma who knew the truth, and had reacted with surprise when Ro and Professor Dumbledore had revealed it to them. Minerva was still the youngest on the team, though Ro was less than a month older than her, so there was a considerable amount of admiration from some of their older teammates. Anthea and Nancy were particularly impressed, since as Transfiguration NEWT students they'd covered Animagi in much greater detail than anyone else. The only thing that had managed to wipe the look of abject concern from Larry's face was Nancy request that she used Minerva as a case study for any essays she had to do on the subject. But with the exception of that first session, their practises went on as usual. Minerva didn't need a voice to play just as fantastically as usual, it was Ro who did all the necessary (but usually good-natured) shouting.

The only aspect of life that had really changed was lessons. Subjects like Herbology, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies weren't affected as they didn't involve any spells being cast, and Ro assumed that Divination, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes were much the same. Potions wasn't a challenge as it was easy enough for Irma, Minerva's assigned partner, to say the single incantation at the end of each potion for her. But in Transfiguration, Charms, and DADA, where casting spells was a major part of the lessons, a few changes needed to be made.

Ro had wondered whether Minerva would just have to sit out of the practical lessons for a month until Professor Merrythought provided an alternative early on in the month. The fourth year's first DADA lesson in term was merely a recap lesson of the duelling techniques they'd mastered during third year. Ro didn't realise that Professor Merrythought had done this deliberately until she took Minerva and Ro, who was partnering her, aside near the start.

"How's it going, Minerva?" Professor Merrythought asked quietly, to which Minerva nodded with a smile. "Right, as you've probably guessed, practical lessons like these are going to become a little bit trickier until you've got your voice back. I had wondered about changing the timetable so it was just theory lessons until February, but Professor Aurelius hasn't got that option so I thought you may as well learn the way around it. This technique isn't usually taught until NEWT level, though early on in sixth year, but with what you're attempting now I don't see why you won't be able to learn it early. Have you heard of nonverbal magic?"

Minerva shook her head, but Ro had both heard of it and seen its difficulty first hand. She had been old enough during Erika and Tavins's NEWT years to remember well how hard they had both found nonverbal magic, particularly Tavin who didn't share Erika's natural flair for duelling.

"It's just the same as regular magic, but you say the incantation in your head rather than out loud." Professor Merrythought explained. "It requires a lot of mental strength, as you really must think hard about the spell you are trying to perform. Imagine the word in your head; say it with your mind's voice. Do you think you can manage that?"

Again, Minerva nodded, and Professor Merrythought smiled approvingly. "Good girl. Right, we'll put you on the attack side as I don't want you getting hexed all afternoon if you can't pull up a shield charm in time. If all goes well, Rolanda, we'll switch you two around. Your offensive spells are fantastic so you've no need to practice them, but your shield charms could use a little more practice which was why I picked you to work with Minerva. Now off you both go, and I'll be around in a few minutes to check how you're progressing."

As Ro had expected, it took Minerva a good ten minutes before she could conjure even the hint of a Knockback jinx. It was the first dueling spell they had ever been taught and one Minerva could normally use with almost a lazy ease, hence why they had chosen to use that spell. They never got around to switching roles by the end of the lesson but Minerva did manage to perform a fairly strong tickling charm on Ro while she wasn't looking, catching her completely unawares and bringing a broad smile to Minerva's face.

The date Poppy had marked off on their calendar rolled around quickly, and it found the six girls all sat in the Gryffindor dormitory with excited expressions. Professor Dumbledore had sent Minerva a note that morning with Minerva's latest set of instructions. She had to remove the leaf from her mouth, not dispose of it, and go to his office with it the following morning.

"Well then," Poppy said, examining the calendar, "today is Monday the 28th of January 1946. Your month is over." Her formal expression gave way to a bright smile, and they all looked expectantly at Minerva.

Minerva slowly took the Mandrake leaf from out of her mouth, and dried carefully on a handkerchief. A moment of quiet passed as Minerva licked her lips, coughed slightly, and said "Was that as dramatic as you were all expecting?"

The former silence was broken by resounding laughter. "Only you," Ro said between breaths, "could end a month of silence with that amount of sarcasm. I've missed that."

"Good," was all Minerva said, before she broke off with a stifled cough. Her voice sounded rough and raspy, though Ro supposed that wasn't a surprise after not using it for a month.

Poppy, however, looked more concerned. "I feel like you ought to have a throat-soothing potion," she began, but Minerva waved her away.

"Don't yet. I don't want anything to risk affecting the process." Minerva croaked with a wry smile.

Looking slightly mollified, Poppy sighed and her hand drifted away from her cabinet. "Ok," she agreed, "but if you think I'll watch you suffer for goodness knows how long without doing anything about it, you're mistaken."

Ro laughed at the determined frown on Poppy's face. "That goes for all of us," she said, and Millicent, Septima and Irma all nodded. "We're all behind you. Don't go forgetting that."

Minerva's Animagus training became much less involved in the following few weeks; she visited Professor Dumbledore's office every few days to have various spells put on her, but that was about it. Ro was grateful for the timing, since the next Quidditch match was looming fast. Gryffindor were playing Ravenclaw on the third weekend of February, which fell on the same weekend as Valentine's Day.

When the day of the match rolled around, Ro couldn't deny being worried. Minerva was the usual bundle of poorly-hidden nerves that she was before every match, but Ro was surprised by how apprehensive she was herself. Ravenclaw's Nina Hilliard was the only Seeker that had beaten Ro to the Snitch without using questionable techniques, and she could begrudgingly admit that Captain Scrimegeour had put a fantastic side together. They had beaten Hufflepuff in November by a massive margin, so Gryffindor needed to take the victory to stand any hope of hanging onto the Quidditch Cup.

Ro was down on the pitch early as normal, but Poppy forced her into eating half a bowl of porridge before she was allowed to escape the Great Hall with Minerva. Knowing Minerva needed something to occupy her mind with, Ro sent her to the broom shed to collect the teams' brooms while she went to survey the conditions. The morning sky was littered with pale clouds, hiding the sunshine but bringing no sign of rain; by far the best conditions to play in as far as Ro was concerned, though there was a certain thrill that came with playing in the rain.

"Morning Ro," a voice behind Ro startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see the Flying Instructor, walking over to join her.

"Hi Marilyn," Ro called back. Marilyn had made the Gryffindor Quidditch Team promise to keep calling her by her first name despite her teaching post, as long as there were no other members of staff in earshot. She'd said it was too odd hearing people call her Madame Douglas who she'd gone to school with only a couple of years ago, and Ro couldn't blame her.

"Great conditions to play in," Marilyn remarked, glancing upwards. "Though I don't think you need that to win. I can't be biased anymore, much as I'd like to be, but you've got some fantastic talent on that team of yours."

Ro's beaming smile was only a hint of the pride blooming in her chest. "You should know, you picked two of them yourself!" she pointed out with a chuckle. Nancy and Ernest, her two fantastic Beaters, had both been picked for the team in Marilyn's last year as Captain.

Marilyn laughed in response. "That I did, but the rest of the team are just as good. Yourself included; I played with your sister for four years and even she isn't as good as you. Wear that Captain's badge with pride, as you're going to do great things on the Quidditch pitch. I'm sure of it."

Her confidence restored by Marilyn's praise, Ro felt a lot lighter when she and Minerva went into the changing room. Nancy, Anthea and Larry were already there, with Larry all changed but the sixth year girls looking as though they had only just arrived. Ro wasn't surprised not to see Ernest and Cleatus, as they usually left it late before joining the rest of the team, but what did surprise her was Larry rushing hastily out of the changing room.

"Ro," Minerva called, distracting Ro from the issue of Larry, "come and look at this."

There was a small piece of parchment in the top of Minerva's Quidditch uniform bag, which she had hung up in the changing room before going to the broom shed. Minerva passed it to Ro, who read it with growing confusion. 'I think you're incredible', was all it said, with no name or any indication as to who might have left it.

Cracking a smile, Ro clapped Minerva on the shoulder. "Looks like someone's got an anonymous Valentines greeting!"

"Who do you think it's from?" Minerva asked, taking the note back and looking thoroughly confused.

"Don't think on it, that's the whole idea!" Ro responded, though secretly she had her suspicions. After a pause, she continued "D'you want to be in a relationship?"

Minerva hesitated for a moment, clearly thinking hard, before she shrugged. "With the right person, I suppose, but I'm not desperate. Not like some people." Ro laughed at her last words; there had been an interesting scene in the Common Room the previous evening when Shirley Miller had asked Ernest to the Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop on the Sunday Hogwarts trip. He had declined in favour of going with Nancy, and it had taken Prefect Bertha Maurice quite some time to quieten Shirley down. "What about you?"

Ro pulled a face which she hoped had the right amount of disgust in it. "Not a chance. No way. Not interested-"

Nancy, Anthea and Minerva's laugher interrupted what might have been a long stream speech. "Alright, we've got the point." Nancy grinned. "Now are you getting changed, or are you planning on turning into Ernest and Cleatus?"

Leading the team out onto the pitch felt just as nerve-wracking as it had done the first time, but Ro grinned in response to the crowd's cheering and even risked a wave to where she could see Poppy, Irma and Millicent. Captain Scrimegeour gave her a nod as they shook hands, which she returned before mounting her broom. If there was one thing she really liked about the Ravenclaw team and their Captain, it was the fact that they weren't hesitant to give respect where they thought it was due.

Once airborne, however, all friendly feelings towards the Ravenclaws vanished to be replaced with a burning frustration. "I have to get the Snitch, I have to get the Snitch," she muttered constantly under her breath, squinting around the pitch through her goggles. She was ignoring what the Chasers were doing to the point where she didn't even check which team had scored each time the applause sounded; for all she knew, Gryffindor could have been 100 points ahead or 100 points behind.

It wasn't until someone in red raced in front of her that she realised she really wasn't looking where she was going. She slowed the Rocket to a standstill, taking a proper look around the pitch. The majority of the players were clustered around the Ravenclaw end of the pitch, with the exception of one red uniform hovering in front of the Gryffindor rings and a blue cloak circling the pitch about 10 feet above. The lone Ravenclaw player had to be Nina Hilliard, and judging by her movements she hadn't yet spotted the Snitch. Victory was still firmly within reach.

With a cleared head and fresh perspective, Ro restarted her search for the Snitch. A break in the clouds let a single beam of sunlight into the otherwise grey stadium, and Ro turned her gaze away on instinct as a bright glint hit her eyes. Moments later she was racing towards the glint, shielding her face with one hand hardly daring to believe her luck. When the Snitch was safe within her fingers she turned a cartwheel in the air, grinning triumphantly as the crowd cheered. Maggie Jordan's shriek over the commentary was almost deafening, though it was short lived as Professor Dumbledore hurriedly tugged the microphone away from her with a twinkling smile.

The Gryffindor Team were upon her in seconds, with high-fives all around and an overjoyed hug from Minerva. Since Ro and Minerva had missed out on most of the last after-match party due to Ro's broken nose, they were both eager to get back to Gryffindor Tower with the rest of the team. With nothing but celebrations on everyone's minds it wasn't hard to smuggle Irma into the Common Room, especially since everyone was in casual clothes rather than school uniform. She was starting to become a permanent fixture in the Tower, since her small involvement in the conflict with the Slytherin Team after the last match had made her even less popular in the Dungeons than she had been before.

The customary Quidditch excitement started to die down after the Hufflepuff-Slytherin match a week later, letting life return to normal. Septima had worked out that Gryffindor were already in a massive lead for the Quidditch Cup; Gryffindor didn't even need to win the final match against Hufflepuff to still take the Cup. Even though the team still drilled hard every week, Ro was happy to let practises become more fun than focused until closer to their final match.

Luckily for Minerva, that coincided neatly with a renewed vigour in her Animagus training. Ro didn't know what she and Professor Dumbledore were doing in his office in their daily sessions, but she would easily tell that it was taking its toll on Minerva. She was getting overtired to the point where she would sleep straight through their alarm clock unless it was placed right next to her ear. Ro had learned very early on that staying up late working was not a good idea, but all her attempts to persuade Minerva not to try it too had proved fruitless.

Poppy's frustration threatened to boil over several times when Minerva refused any medicinal draughts in case they interfered with the process, but Ro managed to channel her concerned energy into checking Minerva's Potions homework for her. She had been let off of Transfiguration homework entirely and most Professors had given her extended deadlines, but in typical Minerva style she was determined to get everything done.

It was nearly the end of the Easter holiday when everything came to a head. Exams and Quidditch finals were looming fast, and Minerva was desperate to become an Animagus before they arrived. She was spending more and more time in Professor Dumbledore's office, and getting more and more annoyed with herself when she still couldn't manage the transformation. Ro kept reassuring both Minerva and herself that she just needed to practise, but when Minerva didn't return to the dormitory for nearly two hours late one evening she did start to get worried.

"Do you think anything's gone wrong?" Poppy asked anxiously, voicing the question that Ro didn't want to ask.

"I'm sure she'll be ok." Irma said from her own bed, only looking away from her book for a second. As usual, she was boarding in Gryffindor Tower over the holiday because Druella and Eileen had gone home.

Ro nodded, but she was hardly convinced. "Professor Dumbledore will keep her safe. I'm sure she'll be back before lo- well, speak of the devil!"

Minerva had just flung the door open, looking a little shaken but still incredibly excited. Ro, Poppy and Irma said nothing, watching her close the door carefully and drop her satchel by her feet before turning to face them. Silence reigned on for a few more minutes as Minerva fiddled with her fingers before an encouraging nod from Poppy made her speak.

"I've done it," she said, a grin splitting her cheeks which Ro knew was mirrored on her own face.

Poppy hopped off her bed and flung her arms around Minerva's neck, squealing softly as she did so.

"That's really amazing, Minerva," Irma smiled, putting her book aside to look proudly up at Minerva.

"You really deserve this Min. You've worked harder than any of us." Ro said, gripping her in a tight hug when Poppy finally released her. After a moment she stepped back and said "Well? Let's see it then!"

Minerva nodded, hesitatingly slightly before she closed her eyes, tensed her arms and inhaled deeply. Her form blurred slightly, then there was a loud pop as she appeared to shrink very fast. The satchel on the floor hid her from view, until it was knocked over by a pair of black paws.

There was a cat on the floor where Minerva had stood a second ago. It was mostly black, though sparsely decorated with dark grey stripes spreading out from the centre of it's back. The face was a slightly paler silvery grey, with very distinctive square markings around its bright emerald eyes that reminded Ro instantly of a pair of glasses.

Minerva had become a cat.

"That was fantastic!" Poppy grinned, Irma clapping with a bright smile on her face.

Minerva dipped her furry head into a funny looking bow, making everyone laugh. With another pop she was back in her human form, looking slightly dishevelled but perfectly intact.

"Well then," Ro started, "what's your plan now?"

Minerva looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning to look back at the door behind her. "I'm going to have some fun," she said decisively, grinning wildly at Ro, Poppy and Irma. The prefects and teachers patrolling will just think I'm someone's pet, no-one will guess unless they really look at me properly."

Ro shook her head and tutted, trying and failing to imitate Poppy's signature trait. "Minerva McGonagall, a rebel? Who would have guessed it?"

"Well she has earned it," Poppy giggled. "But do be careful, won't you? Don't go jumping across stairways or chasing the owls, or any other silly thing that a cat might try and do?"

Irma let out a breath of laughter as Ro pointed out "She is still a fifteen year old girl, you know, not an actual cat?"

"I won't do anything stupid, Poppy," Minerva promised her. "I only want to explore for a while. You're welcome to wait up for me if you want, I won't be very long."

Ro got to her feet so she could open the door for Minerva. She wondered briefly how Minerva would get in and out the dormitory in her cat form, but then assumed it would be the same way that pet cats got in and out of their owner's dormitories. "Sounds good. Have fun!"

Minerva transformed back into her feline shape, shaking out her fur as she stood. She nodded a goodbye to Ro, Poppy and Irma, before walking out onto the balcony and disappearing down the stairs.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _So much for getting this out just after I got back from holiday! I managed to get hospitalised literally a day after I got home- it's a long and probably boring story, but basically the regular treatment I have for my medical condition went very wrong and I ended up with a badly infected hand. I was released this time last week but my hand's super bruised and sore so writing's been a slow process._

 _This is most definitely a filler chapter, but I needed to make these things happen so we can move onto the next few exciting chapters. I didn't want to go into too much detail about the Animagus process since there's such little canon info, so I hope what I did worked well. I've written her Animagus form as mostly black even though she's portrayed as silver-grey in the series because she's still young and her hair hasn't gone grey yet, since Animagi change as their humans change._

 _The teeny valentines day mention was a last minute addition, but I thought it was an important one since Harry and co were already romance-plagued teenagers by this point in the series. Minerva's attitude to romance is very much taken from her canon story, since it was clear she only wanted a relationship with the absolute right person. Ro, on the other hand, is very much not interested in boys! The theme of romance will be explored more as the girls get older, and I don't think it will spoil too much if I reveal there is a romantic sub-plot approaching ;)_

 _That's all I really have to say right now- I get my a-level results tomorrow morning and am so nervous right now I can't really think straight. The next chapter is a really fun one from start to finish, and another one of those chapters I've been really looking forward to for a long time. Hopefully it will be out by this time next week!_


	38. Curiosity killed the Cat

_April 1946_

* * *

All was quiet in the dormitory after Minerva had left. Irma resumed her reading, a thick Muggle book that Poppy had lent her from her and Minerva's own bookcase since Irma's mother would never let her own a Muggle book. Ro polished her broomstick, humming a quiet tune as she rubbed the handle down with wood glaze, and Poppy found herself a book to pass the time. They had spent most of the afternoon preparing for their fourth year exams so had earned their rest time while they waited for Minerva to get back.

A scratching at the door alerted them to Minerva's return, about an hour after she had left. Poppy let her book slide off her lap as she went to answer the door, looking down into the bright emerald eyes of Minerva the cat. Without so much as a mew she walked into the dormitory, though when Poppy watched her it seemed like was favouring one of her back paws over the other. It was only then that Poppy noticed the scratches across Minerva's back, hidden amongst the dark fur that was partially smeared in blood.

"Min, what happened?" asked Ro as Minerva changed back into her human form. Her injuries had transformed with her; there was a gash on her calf and the sock on the foot she'd been limping on was stained red. Poppy gasped slightly when Minerva turned to look at her, revealing blood on her shirt collar and a scratch across her face.

"You might say I've done something stupid," Minerva said, limping over to her bed and sitting down with a hiss of pain. "I ran right into Mrs Norris, so she went and attacked me. Thankfully Peggy Gilbert was patrolling nearby, if it weren't for her chasing her off I might not have got away." Poppy quickly unbuckled her shoe and pulled off her bloodied sock to reveal a pair of deep teeth marks either side of her ankle.

Ro let out a long whistle. "Merlin's beard, that cat's a brute. I reckon Augusta was right when she suggested she's actually a transfigured witch."

"Well she certainly had it in for you," Irma observed quietly from behind Poppy. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Poppy nodded, finding a clean handkerchief on top of her bedside cabinet and handing it to Irma. "Wrap this around her ankle and press down gently," she ordered, "I'm going to take a look at her face."

Once Minerva had taken her glasses off, Poppy sat down on the bed to get a better view of her face wound. The scratch was thin but long, carving through one eyebrow and missing her eye by the tiniest of margins before stretching across the bridge of her nose. Taking another handkerchief and her little bottle of Dittany, she dabbed on the potion and watched contentedly as the scratch faded to a faint red line. "That won't scar, but it'll take a day or two to fade completely."

Minerva sighed quietly, putting her glasses back on. "Professor Dumbledore's taking me to the Ministry tomorrow to sign the Animagus Registry. It might not go down too well if l've got a red line across my face."

"Well then you shouldn't have got into a fight with the caretaker's cat!" Poppy huffed sharply, before her tone softened. "No-one will notice unless they look carefully, and I'm sure one of the older girls has got some make-up you could borrow."

"At least you haven't broken your nose," Ro offered with a grin, "or you might never look the same again!"

Poppy sighed dramatically, pretending to throw her Dittany at Ro's head. It had been unanimously agreed that Ro's nose was now slightly crooked in the centre after it had been broken, despite Poppy's best attempts to fix it back to normal. "Well I'd like to see your attempt at getting a spell like that perfect the first time!"

Ro laughed, only causing Poppy to roll her eyes. "I'm only teasing, Pops," she said, nudging Poppy with her elbow, "if I were you I'd sort Min's foot out before Irma gets too covered in blood."

"Yes please," Irma said wryly, though there was enough concern in her voice that Poppy kneeled down beside her to take a look herself.

The handkerchief was soaked through, and when Irma removed it there was still blood oozing sluggishly from the two puncture wounds. "That's deeper than I thought," Poppy mused aloud, returning to her cabinet and shifting through her collection of glass bottles. "Would you mind cleaning that handkerchief Irma? Minerva, can you lie down on your bed and stick your leg in the air? It won't be dignified but it'll stop you losing too much blood."

"I think I left all my dignity at the door anyway," Minerva's voice grumbled behind her, bringing a smirk to Poppy's face.

At last Poppy found the bottle she was looking for; the violently purple potion that Madame Quinine had first shown her during the Battle. The Matron had explained that it was better than Dittany in treating wounds prone to infection, such as those caused by animals or left open for too long. Irma passed Poppy the freshly Tergeo'd handkerchief, smoking slightly but perfectly clean, which she doused in the purple potion. Poppy pressed it to Minerva's ankle, waited for the puff of lilac smoke that signaled the wound was clean, then aimed her wand and said "Inchide."

Minerva waggled her foot once the wound had closed over, and Poppy took her content smile to mean that it wasn't hurting her anymore. "Thank goodness for you," she laughed weakly; the transformation combined with her unexpected fight had obviously tired her out. "It's just my back now, and my leg."

"Alright, roll over then and I'll have a look." Minerva did as she was told, rolling onto her front where Poppy could already see a few faint red lines across the back of her blouse. After checking Minerva didn't mind, Poppy pushed up her blouse and quickly rubbed dittany along the scratches before finishing up with the shallow gash on her calf. "You're all done, how are you feeling?" asked Poppy.

Minerva nodded, stifling a yawn. "Just tired, that's all."

"I think we all need to go to bed," Ro pointed out, "it's way past curfew. And Min, you'll need to not be falling asleep when you go to the Ministry tomorrow!"

To Poppy's relief they were able to sleep in later than usual the next day, but even she was still feeling tired after their late night so she couldn't imagine how exhausted Minerva would be feeling. Poppy ended up accompanying Minerva and Professor Dumbledore to the Ministry, since the Professor had allowed Minerva to take one friend along with her. Both Ro and Irma had been the Ministry Headquarters already, so agreed it was only fair that Poppy went with her to see it first-hand.

When they first arrived by Floo into the Atrium, Poppy was amazed at just how big it was. It was hard to imagine that the entire building was tucked beneath London without any Muggles being the slightest bit aware, her included until 4 years beforehand. But when they took the elevator up to the second floor, the sight of the newly rebuilt offices reminded Poppy sharply of the attack just over a year ago that had devastated the Ministry and caused so many deaths. She recognised the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Madame Wilhelmina Tuft, since she had been mentioned as seriously injured in the newspaper article that had first informed Poppy and Minerva about Aunt Felicity's death. Poppy didn't realise her hands were shaking until Minerva held them in her own and gave her a reassuring smile.

Once in Madame Tuft's office, Poppy watched as Minerva performed her transformation in front of Madame Tuft and a group of high-ranking officials from her Department. Then there was a great deal of paperwork, with Minerva signing the Animagus Registry using the fanciest quill Poppy had ever seen. After that, Poppy and everyone else in the room had to sign to say they had witnessed her transformation and could guarantee the information in the Registry was correct. With all the paperwork out of the way, Minerva shook about a dozen peoples' hands before she, Poppy and Professor Dumbledore returned to the Atrium and Floo'd back to Hogwarts.

Poppy had been hoping that with Minerva's Animagus training at an end, they would have a relatively quiet month or so to prepare for their fourth year exams. But she was proven wrong when the first Quidditch Final came around in early May. Ravenclaw were playing Slytherin, and it became clear very quickly that the Slytherin team were back at their old tricks.

Minerva and Ro were managing to look through one eye of Ro's Omnioculars each, muttering about fouls and other Quidditch-related things that Poppy didn't really understand, so Poppy was left to keep Irma and Millicent company at the handrail of the Stands. Irma was biting her lip and Millicent's knuckles had turned white as they watched Septima duck and turn between the Bludgers that the Slytherin Beaters were sending her way. Poppy was just starting to hope that she might end the game unscathed when her luck ran out; she was struck in the shoulder by a Bludger and sent careening off her broomstick down to the ground below.

The game was still going on so there was no way Poppy could get to her on the pitch, so she was forced to watch as Madame Quinine rushed onto the pitch and floated Septima away on a stretcher. The rest of the match forgotten even by Minerva and Ro, they all hurried up to the Hospital Wing and burst through the double doors. Septima was sat up in one of the beds, her right arm in a cloth sling, while Madame Quinine examined the shoulder from behind.

"Septima are you ok?" Millicent cried, breaking away from the rest of the group to join her closest friend. Poppy and the others weren't far behind, pulling up chairs to sit in a rough semi-circle around Septima.

Madame Quinine answered for her, not looking up from her examination. She'll be fine, but her collarbone was broken and her shoulder blade completely shattered. They're nasty things to heal, so she'll need to stay here for at least a few days."

Septima's face was a mask of pain, though she still managed an attempt at her usually jolly smile. "It hurts," she mumbled, sounding slightly drowsy.

Alarmed, Poppy glanced at Madame Quinine who chuckled at her worried expression. "I gave her a dose of opium draught to take the edge off the pain. It works quickly but can induce drowsiness, as you've noticed." She then cleared her throat loudly, drawing Septima's attention. "Miss Vector, I need you to take this potion for me. It's Skelegrow, which will help your bones to heal quickly."

Septima nodded, so Madame Quinine sat down next to her with one hand on her back and the other holding the glass to her lips. The first mouthful had her gagging, but after a great deal of whispered encouragement from the Matron she eventually managed the whole glassful. Poppy had never taken Skelegrow but she didn't need to in order to know how disgusting it was, just Septima's grim expression was enough.

"And now she just needs rest," Madame Quinine continued, "one of you can stay here with her, but I'm afraid the rest of you will have to go. I won't have you getting her all excited, she can do without that."

Poppy glanced between Millicent and Irma, unsure who would want to stay more. Although Irma was Septima's twin they had never been very close, while Millicent had been Septima's friend even before Poppy, Minerva and Ro had befriended them that Halloween night.

Millicent spoke first, breaking the slightly uncomfortable silence that had descended. "You can stay if you want, Irma, she's your sister after all."

"No, you stay. She'd prefer you here than me." Irma shook her head, and Millicent smiled gratefully.

After saying their goodbyes to Millicent and a barely conscious Septima, Poppy, Minerva, Ro and Irma left the Hospital Wing and went back to Gryffindor Tower. They could still here the game going on outside the window but Poppy and Irma weren't bothered about returning to watch the rest, so Minerva and Ro agreed they could miss it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent revising in Gryffindor Tower, forgetting lunch in the Great Hall in favour of munching their way through the collection of Honeydukes sweets they had left over from the last Hogsmeade trip. The fortnight of exams was almost upon them, meaning they had no choice but to go over their exam material until their minds ached. Poppy spent most of her time helping Ro out with her Potions work, since it was something she had always struggled with and Poppy found came naturally. As the day wore on it became harder and harder to focus, everyone's concentration lapsing as they progressed from the core subjects onto their elected ones.

"You know, I really don't envy you two right now," Ro said, looking pointedly at the Arithmancy charts spread over Minerva's bed, and Poppy had to agree with her. Minerva and Irma were both sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, frowning hard as they studied the ocean of numbers.

Irma sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. "I wouldn't. I don't know why I'm trying with this. It wasn't even my choice to take the subject."

Poppy gave her a sympathetic smile. "At least you can drop it as soon as you've got the O.W.L. No-one can force you to continue it at N.E.W.T. level."

"Perhaps not, but he'll definitely try to," Irma grumbled, and Poppy didn't need to ask to know who 'he' was. Irma's hatred of her father was not something she talked about often, but it was something everyone was very aware of. "I might just fail on purpose to get the point across."

"Don't think like that," Minerva said, putting a hand on Irma's knee, "I'm sure Professor Dippet or Professor Slughorn would talk to your father if he tried to make you continue in sixth year."

Ro shook her head, surprising Poppy. "No, I agree. There's no way you can take it for N.E.W.T. level unless you get at least Exceeds Expectations in your O.W.L., even if you wanted to. If you fail then there's nothing anyone can do to make you take it."

At the sight of Irma's thoughtful expression, Poppy and Minerva exchanged an uneasy glance. Although Poppy did see the sense in Ro's suggestion, from what she knew of Irma's father she wondered if deliberately failing her Arithmancy O.W.L. would cause more problems than it solved.

She was saved from voicing her thoughts by Ro's stomach rumbling loudly, and everyone started laughing. "I think it might be time for dinner," Ro said, "This revision lark is hungry work!"

"Pumpkin pasties might make a tasty lunch but they don't exactly keep you going for long!" Poppy pointed out with a grin.

Their joyful moods didn't last long once they arrived in the Great Hall though. No sooner had they sat down at the Gryffindor table and poured their pumpkin juice were they approached by Eileen Prince and Druella Rosier. Eileen didn't look entirely comfortable with the situation, hovering to the side of the table, while Druella looked quite at home as she leaned on it with her goblet in one hand.

"We saw what happened during the Quidditch match, Irma," Eileen started after swallowing nervously. "Will Septima be alright?"

Irma seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering. "She's badly injured, but Madame Quinine looked her over and she'll recover in a few days." Her gaze then switched to Druella who was less than a foot away from her; in a harsher voice she asked "Why do you want to know?"

Druella scoffed dramatically, slamming her goblet down on the table as she sat offensively close to Irma on the bench. "We're roommates, which means we should take an interest in things that affect you. And since your sister was injured, we felt we should enquire to how she was. No need to be quite so rude." She stood again, picked up her goblet, and flounced off towards the Slytherin with a call of "Come on, Eileen," over her shoulder.

A brief silence settled over the table as everyone watched them leave "That was weird," Ro said bluntly, the hint of a frown on her face. Poppy knew from that look that she'd been moments away from answering back to Druella before her exit.

"After sharing a dormitory with them for three and a half years, you tend to expect the unexpected." Irma shrugged, taking a long sip of her drink. She suddenly grimaced, putting her goblet down and rubbing the back of her hand over her mouth. "Don't drink the pumpkin juice, there's something wrong with it," she rasped, coughing a couple of times.

Poppy peered into her own goblet, scrutinising the colour of her own pumpkin juice. "It looks fine, but I'll take your word for it," she said with a frown. As Irma coughed again she asked "Do you need a glass of water?"

A disgusted expression on her face, Irma nodded quickly. Ro hastily filled up another goblet with water which Irma drank quickly, taking a couple of breaths when she was finished and wiping her face with her sleeve. "Better?" Ro asked.

Irma shrugged, still looking slightly repulsed. "A little,"

"Why don't you eat something, that might take the taste away," Minerva suggested.

Ro's stomach gave another timely rumble, so they wasted no time in dishing up and tucking in. Poppy kept an eye on Irma as they ate, noting with satisfaction that she was eating readily in between regular sips of water. But after 20 or so minutes she paused, letting her fork clatter to her plate and swallowing heavily.

"Awrigh' Ir'a?" Ro said around a mouthful of potatoes.

Irma pressed a hand lightly to her middle and inhaled deeply. "I'm fine," she said in a voice lacking conviction, staring straight ahead as if she was looking right through the table.

"Are you sure?" Poppy asked gently, "you're not looking too-"

Suddenly Irma was out of her seat, hands over her mouth, and sprinting for the door. Poppy looked over at Ro and Minerva, identical expressions of shock and concern on their faces, before getting up and following her more slowly. They were unsure which direction to take once outside the Great Hall, but the sound of a door banging lead them to the ground floor girls' bathroom.

"Irma?" Poppy called as they entered tentatively. She was answered by the sound of someone throwing up in one of the cubicles. Moving towards the door, Poppy knocked lightly and said "Irma, can I come in?"

Irma's voice gasped out "No!" before heaving again.

"Ro," Poppy said, watching the closed cubicle door with apprehension, "can you run up to the dormitory and fetch my bottle of anti-nausea draught? A spoon would be handy as well."

Ro left without responding, the sound of her footsteps running down the corridor fading out of earshot. Dismayed there was nothing else she could do until either Ro returned or Irma let her in, Poppy took to pacing up and down the bathroom with her hands clenched behind her back.

Finally after nearly 10 minutes of retching regularly, Irma opened her door and peered out. Poppy had to restrain a sign at the sight of her as she slowly left the cubicle, ashen-faced and trembling uncontrollably. She was clinging to the door for support until Poppy took her shaking hands and helped her sit down. "How are you doing?" she asked softly.

Irma let out a ragged groan, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso and hanging her head. Minerva joined them on the floor and put an arm around Irma's shoulders, letting her lean into her side. "It feels like my insides are in knots," she croaked hoarsely, giving a slight shudder.

The sound of the bathroom door being flung open and crashing into the tiled walls made everyone jump. Irma groaned again at the sudden noise, holding her head in her hands. "Ooh, sorry Irma," Ro apologised, plonking herself onto the floor besides Poppy and offering her a glass bottle and spoon. "Is this the right one?"

"Perfect, thanks," Poppy nodded, taking the potion from Ro and pouring out a spoonful. "Irma, are you alright to take this?"

Irma hummed groggily in response, shifting away from Minerva to let Poppy spoon the draught into her mouth. There were a few seconds of calm after she swallowed, before she was suddenly on her feet again and stumbling back into the cubicle. The door swung shut behind her, and more heaving sounds could be heard from within.

Poppy sighed, twisting the cap back onto her potion bottle. "Well, she's obviously not going to keep that down."

"It must have been the pumpkin juice, no-one else drunk any," Minerva mused aloud. "From our jug at least, maybe there was just something wrong with that."

Ro suddenly gasped, her wide eyes indicating a sudden flash of thought. "It might be," she started slowly, "or it might just have been Irma's cup." Before Poppy had a chance to find any sense in her vague words, Ro had taken a hold of her wrist. "Can you come with me? I might need your help."

"But Irma," Poppy objected, glancing back at her cubicle which had finally fallen silent.

"If she can't take any potions then there's a limit how you can help her," Minerva pointed out correctly, much to Poppy's chagrin. "Go with Ro, I'll look after her."

Seeing no way she could argue any further, Poppy allowed Ro to lead her back into the Great Hall. Although the Hall was mostly empty now all the plates were still on the tables, making it easy to find the space where they had been sitting not long beforehand. Ro took a fresh goblet from the middle of the table, filled it with pumpkin juice from their jug, and to Poppy' horror she downed it in one gulp.

"Ro!" she hissed, panic spiking in her chest, "what did you do that for?"

Shaking her head, Ro set the goblet back onto the table. "Completely normal, as I thought."

Poppy stared. "Ro, what are you talking about."

"Did it strike you as suspicious when Druella and Eileen came over?" Ro asked, and Poppy nodded. "Those excuses were codswallop. And why in Merlin's name would Druella bring her drink with her, unless she was planning to-"

"-to swap it with someone else's." Poppy finished for her. "So, do you think Druella put something in her own goblet then switched it with Irma's?"

Ro nodded gravely, her gaze travelling to where Irma's goblet stood over half full on the table. "But there's only one way to find out."

Poppy's mouth dropped open. "Ro, please tell me you're not thinking what I think you are. Who knows what she's put in there?"

"Whatever's in there only made Irma sick all over the place, it can't be that bad. And we can't get Druella into trouble for it unless it's proven," said Ro firmly. "Come on Pops, it won't be bad at all."

Poppy eyed Irma's goblet warily, then looked back at Ro. "Wouldn't it be better if you drank it so I can look after you afterwards?" she suggested.

"It did cross my mind, but like Min said, what can you do? If I can't stop being sick for long enough to choke down an anti-nausea draught then I'll just have to ride it out. And it'd be nicer if I wasn't doing it by myself." Ro fixed Poppy with a pleading stare, combined with a small smile that made Poppy laugh inwardly. "Do it for Irma?"

"I'm doing this for Irma," Poppy sighed, sure she would regret her decision very quickly.

Ro grabbed another goblet and poured enough of Irma's pumpkin juice in so that there was roughly the same amount in each cup. As she handed one goblet to Poppy and took the other for herself, they nervously looked each other in the eye.

Ro let out an uneasy breath. "Bottoms up!" she grinned, before they both drunk the contents of their goblets. Poppy instantly understood what Irma had meant about the foul taste, and they both clamoured for a glass of water to clear their throats.

"Now we just wait, I suppose." Ro said, sounding a great deal less confident than she had done before. "Should we, er, go up to the Hospital Wing in advance? We want to make a scene really."

Poppy couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head slightly. "I suppose so!"

They took a leisurely journey up the Grand Staircase, deciding not to check on Minerva and Irma in the bathroom in case Irma's condition made them regret their reckless move. It wasn't until they reached the third floor that Poppy began to feel slightly queasy, and a fresh wave of nerves set in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Ro, still smiling though more out of apprehension than anything else.

Ro shrugged. "I've felt better," she admitted, "not looking forward to this part."

They kept walking up the stairs, then along the fourth floor corridor towards the Hospital Wing. Suddenly Poppy's stomach started jumping inside her, and the nasty taste in her throat intensified. She ground to a halt, and looked nervously at Ro who had also stopped in her tracks.

Ro was looking around, before her gaze settled on the bathroom just ahead of them. "Can we make it to the Hospital Wing?" she asked slowly, "or is this a bathroom job."

Poppy looked down the corridor, where she could see the Hospital Wing doors in the distance. She was about to suggest trying for the Hospital Wing before she gagged, wrapping her hands around her middle. "Bathroom!" she gasped, hurtling through the door and into the nearest cubicle just in time to throw up into the toilet bowl.

"I wish I hadn't had that dinner!" Ro's shaking voice floated over the cubicle wall. The thought of food made Poppy sick again, and she heard Ro do the same.

"Merlin's beard, what did you two do to yourselves?" If Poppy hadn't been busy being sick she might have danced for joy upon hearing Madame Quinine enter the bathroom. Two hands under her arms helped Poppy to her feet, and once she was steady the Matron went next door to give Ro a hand.

They were ushered into the Hospital Wing, where Millicent and Septima were sat up talking on one of the beds. Septima had changed out of her Quidditch robes into a comfortable-looking dress and her hair was down from its customary two plaits, though she still wore her arm in a sling. Madame Quinine sat them down on two chairs before disappearing into her office. "What happened to you two?" Millicent asked.

Hoping Ro would respond on their behalf, Poppy just held her head in her hands and tried to regulate her breathing. Her head was absolutely pounding, and she felt cold and clammy all over. Suddenly convinced she was about to be sick again, she clamped her hands over her mouth and accidentally elbowed Ro in the process.

"She needs a bucket!" Ro yelled, clearly getting the message. Madame Quinine burst out of her office holding two tin buckets, thrusting one quickly into Poppy's hands before giving the other to Ro. Poppy could just about hear Septima and Millicent's sounds of disgust as she heaved into her bucket, feeling utterly miserable.

"You know what, Mil?" said Ro hollowly from inside her bucket, "You really, really, don't want to know!"

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _Holy Moly, long chapter._

 _Also hilariously grim chapter. Apologies to anyone who doesn't like sick. I got this idea from another book I've read recently, and thought it would be very fun to incorporate into the story. All lose ends will be tied up in the next chapter which follows on directly from this one. It's another fun one, and unless the word count gets unbelievably out of hand again it should mark the end of fourth year. So I didn't meet my goal of finishing fourth year by the end of the school holiday, but my new goal is to get it done by the fanfiction's one year anniversary. Which is in a month today. Scary stuff, huh?_

 _I think the thing I love most about this chapter is Poppy's motherly nurturing skills. She's come so far in three and a half years- they all have, but this chapter shows her character growth especially. You can really see the makings of an amazing Mediwitch._

 _Anyone who's recently read my profile will know that I've been formally recruited by the Chudley Cannons in the Quidditch League Fanfiction Challenge! There's only three rounds left so it won't be a very long term thing, though hopefully I can make it onto a team at the beginning of the next season in 2017. So alongside this fic, there'll be a short story from me every other week for the next couple of months._

 _I can't think of anything else to say for the time being, so I'll leave it here. Good luck to everyone who's going back to school/college this week (which is most of Britain I think)._


	39. Time is of the Essence

_May 1946_

* * *

After Poppy and Ro left the bathroom, Minerva's attention turned to Irma's cubicle with a small sigh. The retching noises had quietened a few minutes ago, to be replaced with heavy, laboured breathing. Minerva knocked lightly on the door, calling softly "Are you alright in there Irma?"

The cubicle door swayed open under Minerva's touch, revealing Irma's pallid face looking forlornly up at her from where she crouched on the floor. She accepted Minerva's hand to help pull her to her feet, swaying slightly until Minerva had a supportive arm around her slim waist.

"Where did Poppy and Ro go?" Irma murmured after glancing around the empty bathroom.

"They're investigating," Minerva sighed, not wanting to think too deeply into what that might mean. "We think you've been poisoned, and possibly by Druella and Eileen."

Irma's eyes widened for a moment, and Minerva took her surprised look as a cue to explain. "We all drank pumpkin juice from the same jug and were fine. But Druella brought her goblet over to our table and placed it down near yours, then I think she might have left it by your plate and took your goblet back to the Slytherin table. So if she wanted to poison you, she could have put something in her own goblet then switched the two around without us noticing."

"Do you know what she might have put in there?" asked Irma, having tensed slightly at the mention of her being poisoned.

Minerva hesitated for a moment; she had been wondering herself how they would find the answer to that question. Her thought process had lead her to the same idea every time, but it wasn't one she was particularly keen on going through with. But, she reminded herself, if Poppy and Ro were willing to poison themselves to discover the cause of Irma's illness, she should be willing to go to similar lengths.

"No, but I do think we need to find out," Minerva began slowly, "and there's only one way I can think of doing that." Irma looked up to meet Minerva's gaze, her hand trailing to the neckline of her dress where Minerva knew her Time-Turner resided. Minerva nodded grimly, glad that they had both come to the same conclusion. "But not until you've got some strength back."

As if Minerva's last comment made her aware of how vulnerable she looked, Irma instantly pulled away and straightened out her dress with a still-shaking hand. Minerva wasn't sure if it was her genuinely feeling better or her just pretending that made Irma's wariness of physical contact return, watching her carefully in case she was about to keel over again. In a hollow voice that didn't invite confidence, she insisted "I'm fine."

Minerva huffed quietly. Glancing at her watch, she said "It's likely that Druella and whoever her accomplices are were at the Quidditch match, then made their final plans afterwards. So if we go back 5 hours it'll be 1:30, then we can sneak into the Slytherin Common Room and see we can get any clues out of Druella. Then we can hide out somewhere until now, meet the others in the Hospital Wing, and then present our findings to the Professors."

"I'm glad that you know what you're doing," Irma chuckled quietly.

Minerva rolled her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. "Are you ready?" she asked, pulling her Time-Turner out from beneath her blouse. Irma nodded, stepping closer to Minerva so she could drape the golden chain around both their necks.

With five turns of the hourglass the bathroom dissolved into nothing. Minerva could feel the familiar pressure in her ears as they rolled back through time, eventually stopping right in front of the Hospital Wing doors. Over a year and a half of using the Time-Turners meant they had both become very used to the unsteady sensation when time finished reversing, so Minerva was surprised when Irma careered into her unexpectedly. Irma let out a small groan as she clutched her head in both hands, but Minerva was distracted by the sound of footsteps on the other side of the Hospital Wing doors.

"Quick," she hissed, practically dragging Irma backwards into a helpfully placed alcove. Mere seconds later the doors were thrown open; they watched with baited breath as the Minerva, Irma, Ro and Poppy from four hours ago walked past them and down the corridor. Once they were safely out of earshot, Minerva glanced at Irma with concern and asked "Are you still feeling ok?"

Irma nodded, making a visible effort to pull herself together. Untangling herself from the Time-Turner, she waited for Minerva to tuck it back under her blouse before saying "The Common Room is this way."

Minerva was glad she had Irma as her guide as they walked through the Dungeons, passing the Potions Classroom and Filch's Office along the way. She was too busy trying to memorise the passage around her to look where she was going, making sure she'd be able to find her way out by herself if she needed to, and might have run straight into a stone wall if Irma hadn't thrown an arm out to stop her.

"Can I ask how you're planning to sneak in undetected?" Irma asked, one eyebrow raised slightly as she looked at Minerva.

A smirk was her only response, before closed her eyes and visualised a dark grey cat in her mind. She inhaled deeply and willed herself to transform, knowing she had succeeded when a thousand scents flooded her nose and she felt cold stone beneath four paws. She opened her eyes to see the world around her in a heightened definition, and if she pricked her ears she could hear a couple of voices on the other side of the wall.

The brief sound of laughter made her look up to see Irma towering above her. "I suppose that's how," she answered her own question, before stepping towards the door. "Serpent," she whispered quietly, and Minerva watched as the stones rolled away in a similar manner to those that made up the barrier into Diagon Alley. Motioning for Minerva to keep close, Irma stepped through the gap and down the path that lead to the Slytherin Common Room.

There was no resemblance to the fiery warmth of Gryffindor Tower; there was a chill in the air that made Minerva ruffle her fur in an attempt to warm herself up. There was a fireplace on one wall, though compared to the roaring fire in Gryffindor Tower it was just burning gently and emitting a soft glow. A few lamps burning with blue flame contributed to the eerie lighting, though not as much as the far wall that was simply a plane of glass. From the sight of rippling plants and a wide expanse of bluey-green beyond the glass wall, it didn't take Minerva long to guess that they were beneath the Black Lake. There was a prick of unease in her chest at the sight of where she had almost died a few short months ago, but she pushed it away determinedly. A black velvet curtain hung either side of the glass wall, and the several sofas scattered around the room were all black leather.

With practically the whole school watching the ends of the Quidditch match, Minerva wasn't surprised to see the Common Room almost deserted. A pair of seventh year girls were walking under one of two archways in the nearest wall, looking back and giving Irma a nod before continuing on their way. As soon as they had gone, Minerva hopped up onto the back of the nearest sofa so she could communicate with Irma closer to eye level.

"Those two archways lead to the dormitories," Irma explained, motioning to the arch that the seventh years had disappeared down. Minerva nodded in acknowledgement; if it weren't for the urgency of their mission she would have asked to see Irma's bedroom, but the lack of time prevented it.

As if to emphasise her point, familiar voices suddenly sounded on the other side of the stone wall. Irma whispered an apology before scooping Minerva into her arms, her grip tight but not overly uncomfortable. She hurried across the common room, squeezing into the gap between one of the sofas and the far wall. "Druella always sits here," Irma whispered, grabbing the velvet curtain and pulling it around them both to fully obscure them from view.

The voices suddenly sounded much closer, becoming clearly recognisable as Druella Rosier, Abraxas Malfoy and Orion Black. Druella was laughing, a shrill, wicked sound that sent an icy chill down Minerva's spine. "Good shot with that Bludger, I doubt she'll be out of the Hospital Wing for a good while yet!" It was clear that it was Septima they were referring to, and Irma went rigid beside her.

Orion chuckled deeply. "Now we just need to rid ourselves of the other one." Minerva's heart gave a jump in her chest- this was exactly the proof they had been hoping for.

"It won't be forever though," Druella sighed, sounding almost upset. "But at least we'll have cleansed ourselves from those traitorous pieces of filth for a few precious days."

"A long overdue punishment for being able to walk the corridors so freely. The proof that a Mudblood was allowed to besmirch a name as grand as mine, it's almost as criminal as the Mudbloods themselves." Orion's voice was a threatening growl.

"They may as well be Mudbloods, from the people they associate themselves with!" cackled Druella.

The pompous drone of Abraxas chimed in. "First you've got the two actual Mudbloods- Slughorn's pet Pomfrey and that Bagnold who might as well be joined to the Ravenclaw Vector by the hip. Then there's McGonagall who think she knows everything, and one of the Hooch rabble who are all nothing but foreign- blood traitors!"

Minerva couldn't remember ever feeling quite so angry as she did at that moment. It wasn't the comment directed at her that had riled her up, but their blatant insults towards the rest of her friends. She didn't realise she was growling at the back of her throat until Irma smoothed a hand down her furred head in an attempt to calm her down.

"Never mind them, we've got more important things to think about." Orion insisted. There was a sound of heavy glass being placed on wood, and an appreciative murmur from Druella and Abraxas. "The potion you requested? It arrived in the post from Lucretia this morning."

"Draught of Ipecac; Emetic potion for the removal and neutralisation of toxins. Ingredients: ipecac root, crushed bezoar, flobberworm mucus, stewed mandrake. Directions for use: either drink undiluted and follow with water, or mix with drink." Abraxas read aloud.

Druella hissed excitedly, "We can mix it with my drink at dinner this evening, then switch it with hers! She'll never know it's in there, and then she can embarrass herself in front of the whole school! She might be laughed out of Hogwarts and never return!"

"Don't get too carried away now," Orion cautioned, followed by a forlorn-sounding sigh from Druella.

Abraxas huffed slightly. "It will have to be you who gives it to her, Druella. The suspicion will be too high if it's Orion or I who does it, but you'll have to be careful to make sure she doesn't get suspicious of you."

Laughing again, Druella said "Oh I've got an idea, don't you worry!"

Their conversation changed after that, and Minerva soon lost interest. Sat mere inches behind the Slytherins there was no way she could talk to Irma, so they were resigned to sitting in silence until it neared dinnertime. Irma fell asleep before long, her traumatic afternoon proving to have taken its toll. In a desperate attempt to overcome her boredom, Minerva took to pulling threads from the bottom of the velvet curtain with one of her claws, hoping she wouldn't make the curtain shift too much in the process. She could hear other people in the Common Room, but almost three hours later there was still no sign of Druella, Abraxas and Orion leaving.

Her attention eventually caught by Druella's sharp call that resonated across the Common Room, accompanied by the shifting of leather that indicated someone had stood up from the sofa. "Oh Eileen! Have you seen Vector since the end of the Quidditch Match?"

Eileen's nasally voice responded. "No, I saw her leaving with Minerva, Poppy, Rolanda and Millicent halfway through the match. It was after Orion's Bludger hit her sister."

"She's been in Gryffindor Tower all afternoon," another voice called, which Minerva recognised as that of Malcolm's friend Imogen Farley. "I was walking down the seventh floor corridor when I saw them all go in."

"No-one asked your opinion, Farley," Orion snarled, and in the silence that followed, Minerva felt for the younger girl. She was in a similar predicament to Irma; a half-blood Slytherin with friends in other Houses, though without Irma's direct connection to the House of Black. But unlike Irma she seemed to have enough nerve to face up to her prejudiced Housemates.

"We'll have to find them at dinner then. We ought to make sure her sister is ok" That was Druella again, and Minerva had to commend her on her acting skills after hearing the hint compassion in her tone. "Are you ready to go?"

"I suppose so, let me put this in the dormitory first."

Minerva didn't hear anything else, distracted by the sudden tingling of her whiskers. She still wasn't completely accustomed to her feline senses, but she knew that meant they weren't alone anymore. Hackles raised, she turned, though relaxed slightly at the sight of a young female cat sat looking at her.

'Hello,' said the cat, in the same odd form of communication Minerva had already discovered when talking to her owl Fergus.

'Hello,' Minerva said, dipping her head slightly in a greeting, 'who are you?'

'My name is Pearl. I'm Eileen's cat.' Noting the white pelt and pale blue eyes, Minerva had to admit the name fit. She vaguely remembered seeing Pearl before, asleep on one of Eileen's books during a study session in the Library. 'Who are you?'

'I'm Minerva. I'm with Irma.' It felt strange introducing herself to a cat, even more so as belonging to Irma like Pearl did to Eileen, but she wasn't sure how much Pearl would understand if she mentioned she was an Animagus.

Frowning slightly, Pearl leaned towards her and sniffed deeply. 'You don't smell right. Not like a proper cat. Like Mrs Norris. Are you like her?'

Surprised, it took Minerva a moment to recover and think of something to say. Seeing no way to avoid revealing she wasn't a true cat, she nodded 'Yes, I'm an Animagus. I'm actually a Gryffindor student.'

Pearl studied her for a moment. 'Minerva. Black hair, green eyes, glasses?'

Minerva nodded. 'Yes. You're very observant.'

'I'm a cat.'

'Fair enough.'

The sound of Eileen calling Pearl's name made them both look around, and Minerva suddenly panicked. 'Please don't give us away. We mustn't be seen,' she hissed desperately.

Pearl gave her a suspicious look, but nodded. 'Until next time,' she said, before jumping up onto the back of the sofa.

Eileen and Druella leaving the Common Room seemed to rouse everyone's interest, and it didn't take long before the Common Room had fallen silent. Minerva waited five more minutes in case there were any stragglers left behind, before hopping onto Irma's lap and patting her hand until she stirred. Irma glanced around for a moment, blinking blearily, before her eyes focused on Minerva. "Clear?" she mouthed.

Minerva nodded, clawing her way up onto the back of the sofa as Irma stiffly got to her feet. The Common Room was indeed empty, the only sound coming from the grandfather clock tucked in the far corner of the room.

"It's just gone half past five," Irma said, her voice quiet but sounding stronger than it had earlier, "we should go, sometimes the seventh years like to have dinner later than everyone else. We don't want to get caught here."

Nodding affirmatively, Minerva let Irma pick her up again before they left the Common Room. She didn't know where Irma was planning on going, until they reached the Entrance Hall and Irma headed for their secret spot beneath the Grand Staircase.

Once they were safely secluded from prying eyes, Minerva shifted back into her human form. "Good plan, we can hide out here until the dinner hall is clear. We can't exactly go marching into the Great Hall to find the Professors while our old selves are still eating!" she said, glad she could talk normally again.

Irma chuckled, shaking her head. "Breaking the past, present and future wasn't something I had planned today. But I suppose this wasn't either," she added dryly.

"Not quite," Minerva agreed. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better. I suppose I've had nearly five hours to recover, even though it hasn't happened yet."

Minerva nodded, smirking at the absurd logic that came with Time-Turning, before sudden footsteps sprinting past made them both jump. "I imagine that's me," Irma whispered.

At the sound of more people running in the same direction, Minerva nodded. "And that'll be the rest of us."

"We never left the bathroom, so we don't have to avoid ourselves anymore. It's just Poppy and Ro we've got to worry about." Irma said, and Minerva could practically see the cogs moving in her mind. "Do you know exactly where they went after they left?"

Minerva sighed, recalling what Ro had said to her before dragging Poppy away. "Ro went up to Gryffindor Tower to fetch a potion for Poppy, which will happen probably about now," she said, her point emphasized by the well-timed sound of someone running up the staircase above them. "But then she was talking about how the poison might have got to you, and mentioned the possibility of the goblets being switched. I'm almost certain they went back to the Hall."

"In which case we have to watch out for them passing by again," Irma continued for her, "so we'll have to talk to the Professors in one of their offices or risk being seen."

Minerva hummed in agreement. "Next question: what are we going to tell the Professors?"

Irma looked thoughtful for a moment, before shrugging lightly. "What we just heard is the only thing that comes to mind. Though that means admitting we used the Time-Turners inappropriately."

Sighing in resignation, Minerva nodded. "But what else could we have done? I'm sure they'll want to know that Orion's receiving potentially dangerous items through the Owl Post. Filch might have to tighten security up."

"Alternatively, Professor Slughorn might not act at all. He's always been more lenient with the Black family." Irma suggested bitterly.

Minerva shrugged helplessly. "Well, all we can do is try. We've got this far, we can't give up," she said determinedly, before another thought occurred to her. "And we don't know what Poppy and Ro are planning on doing. From the look on Ro's face before she left the bathroom, it will be nothing good."

Before Irma had a chance to enquire what she meant, more footsteps accompanied by familiar voices hushed them both immediately. Minerva's heart gave a leap as she identified Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn amongst the group of teachers, and might have gone to speak to them there and then if it weren't for the fact that Ro would be passing by again sooner or later. Sure enough, the sound of someone sprinting down the staircase announced Ro's return just seconds later.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Miss Hooch?" At Professor Slughorn's question, Minerva started nervously playing with the end of her plait.

There was a hesitant pause before Ro's voice sounded, slightly out of breath from her trip up the castle. "I- er- we, I mean- um- had a slight-well- incident at dinner," she stammered out, before adding hurriedly "but we're fine! Everything's under control, nothing to worry about."

"Well then, Miss Hooch, I trust you will find either myself or Madame Quinine if your incident turns out to be less under control than you had anticipated." Professor Dumbledore responded, a mixture of amusement and concern in his voice.

The return of the pattering footsteps and a door banging open in the distance signaled that Ro had returned to the bathroom, and Minerva knew they didn't have long. "We should go now," she hissed, and although Irma looked doubtful she nodded all the same. Leaving Irma to follow more slowly, Minerva hurried over to where Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn were heading for the staircase along with Professors Merrythought and Beery. "Professor Dumbledore!" she called, trying to keep her composure when all four Heads of House turned to look at her.

"Miss McGonagall, is everything alright?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his concerned expression only deepening when Irma joined them from under the staircase. "You all left the Hall in such a hurry, and Miss Hooch looked terribly uneasy when she passed by just a moment ago."

Minerva shook her head, knowing they were short on time. "Could we speak to you and Professor Slughorn in your office, please?" she asked, trying to put as much conviction into her voice as possible. "It's quite urgent."

A look of astonishment crossed Professor Slughorn's face at her final comment, but he nodded when Professor Dumbledore glanced in his direction. "Very well then. Galatea, Herbert, we will join you as soon as we're finished."

Once into Professor Dumbledore's office, Minerva allowed herself to breathe easily for the first time since they had left the Dungeons. Irma was still looking slightly washed out, but nodded quickly when Minerva sent her a questioning look. "Take a seat, girls, then please explain what's troubling you," Professor Dumbledore said, motioning to the two chairs in front of his desk.

Between the two of them, over the course of almost an hour they managed to explain everything that had happened since Irma had first been sick. Professor Slughorn looked astounded when Irma revealed they had used the Time-Turners, not a hint of shame on her face, but Professor Dumbledore merely raised an eyebrow before motioning for them to continue. But it was when they reached the part about how the poison had entered the school that the Professors started to look particularly concerned.

"I will speak to Orpheus as soon as the opportunity arises," Professor Dumbledore said, a harsh edge to his voice. Minerva had only heard it once before, when she and Poppy had overheard Professor Merrythought confronting him over his link to Grindlewald. "This is a matter of school security. Horace, can I leave it to you to deal with this accordingly?"

Professor Slughorn nodded, still wearing an almost comical expression of shock. "Certainly, Albus. But what of Mr Black and accomplices?"

"Miss Prince had no real part to play, so she will not be reprimanded. But Miss Rosier and Mr Malfoy are equally as guilty as Mr Black, so they will all receive the same consequences. I will speak to Professor Dippet, and let you girls know in due course." Professor Dumbledore said, turning from Professor Slughorn to Minerva and Irma as he finished. "Although your use of the Time-Turners was outside the guidelines that you were set at the start of your third year, it is clear that you did so with the right intentions, so we will say no more on the subject."

Minerva sighed internally, trying not to let the relief show on her face. "Thank you, sir," she said, giving a small smile.

Professor Dumbledore smiled back, the twinkle returned to his eyes. "Now, if you are feeling better, Miss Vector, I suggest you both go and find your friends. We will make sure everything is dealt with as quickly as possible."

Understanding themselves dismissed, Minerva and Irma both thanked the Professors before leaving Professor Dumbledore's office. "That went better than expected," Irma said, smiling.

Minerva nodded. "Now we need to find Poppy and Ro. If they did drink that potion- and knowing Ro they almost certainly did- we should probably head towards the Hospital Wing."

Minerva's intuition turned out to be right. Poppy and Ro were just leaving the Hospital Wing as Minerva and Irma rounded the corner onto the Hospital Wing corridor, and from first glance it was clear they'd done exactly what Minerva had feared. They were clinging to each other like lifelines; Ro's arm was slung around Poppy's shoulders while Poppy had one hand supporting Ro's waist, leaning into each other while somehow managing to stay upright.

Exchanging a glance that was equal parts amused and concerned, Minerva and Irma hurried down the corridor to join them. "I can't believe you really did it," Minerva said, unable to think of anything better to say.

Poppy winced, covering one ear with her free hand. "Too loud," she murmured, hunching over slightly.

Frowning in concern, Minerva slipped a hand behind Poppy's back in order to take her weight from an exhausted Ro. "You're not doing too well, are you," she sighed, feeling the heat radiating from Poppy's forehead with the back of her hand.

"I feel like I've been hit by the Knight Bus or something," Ro groaned, running her hands through her hair. When her gaze met Irma's she frowned for a moment before asking "How come you're looking better? You were throwing up into a toilet less than an hour ago!"

Minerva couldn't help but laugh. "That's the beauty of time travel," she explained, "technically we're 5 hours ahead of you two."

"And I spent most of it asleep behind a sofa," Irma added, smiling wryly.

"Good for you," Ro grumbled, gratefully accepting Irma's offer of support. "Can we go back to the dormitory now? I need to sleep for the rest of the year."

The trek back to Gryffindor Tower was a slow one, since Poppy could barely support her own weight and Ro wasn't faring much better. Minerva guessed it was likely that they had drunk more of the potion than Irma had done, since Irma only sipped it before realizing something was wrong while Poppy and Ro were deliberately trying to investigate its effects. The Fat Lady let them into the Common Room and they moved as fast as possible up into the dormitory, not wanting to answer anyone's curious questions quite yet.

Poppy's energy reserves were clearly gone by the time Minerva sat her down on her bed, making no attempts to brush away the curls that had fallen in front of her face. "Is there anything I can get you?" Minerva asked, gently helping her to lie down.

Poppy shook her head ever so slightly. "Just tired," she whimpered, rolling onto her side and wrapping her arms around her stomach. Minerva could scarcely believe that this was the same person who had been treating Irma so attentively such a short time ago. After repositioning the pillow so it was underneath Poppy's head, Minerva left her to get some well-needed rest.

Ro was in bed too, though lying sprawled on her back and looking slightly zoned out. "Min?" she croaked, "if I ever try to do something like that again, please hex me and remind me of this moment."

Both Minerva and Irma laughed. "Will do," Minerva smiled, "now go to sleep. You look absolutely done in."

When Ro closed her eyes, Minerva turned her attention back to Irma. She'd noticed on the journey back that her hands had started to shake again, and even in the dim light of the dormitory she was looking very pale. "Are you alright?" Minerva asked, gently touching Irma's shoulder, "you're not looking well."

"I'm not feeling it," Irma admitted, meeting Minerva's gaze. "I should probably get some sleep."

"Then stay here for the night. You can sleep on my bed. If I were you I'd want to avoid Druella for as long as you can." Minerva said, her tone inviting no argument.

Irma nodded, stifling a yawn. "But what about you?" she asked, sitting on the edge of Minerva's bed and removing her shoes.

"I won't take up much room," chuckled Minerva, changing into her Animagus form before jumping up beside her.

"I think it'll be some time before I remember you can do that," Irma commented with a smile, laying down with an air of hesitation. Minerva curled up next to her, leaving enough of a gap between them to respect Irma's personal space but close enough to be of comfort.

"Goodnight," Irma whispered, and Minerva purred in response before drawing her tail around her nose and giving in to sleep.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Funny story why this chapter took so long: I had it ready to upload on October 3rd, as promised, but then my cat knocked a full cup of tea all over my laptop. Cue laptop shutting down and deleting all documents. Thankfully I make it a habit to back up everything on it at the end of every month (since I have so much stuff on here) so I'd only lost about 4 days of work, but in those 4 days I'd written out quite a few chapter notes and college assignments in addition to the last two thirds of this chapter. I wanted to rewrite the chapter notes asap before I forgot everything and deadlines meant I had to prioritise the college stuff over this, so after much toil I give you chapter 39!_

 _In retrospect it's probably a good thing I had to rewrite, since I'd made a few errors in working out the times in the first draft. I do really like this chapter, but I won't be writing another time-travel chapter for a long while xD_

 _The whole Slytherin Common Room section was fun, I enjoyed imagining what the Common Room looked like. As with Gryffindor Tower I've described it as I see it in my own head, so it's not really 100% canon. And we will see Pearl again a few times in the rest of the story._

 _Ipecac is a real-life emetic, and I read some amusing yet disgusting stories about it while doing my research. If anyone's curious, there's a clip from Family Guy you can find on YouTube which gives you a general idea!_

 _Without checking my notes, chapter 40 will mark the last chapter of fourth year (at long last!). Then we're onto fifth year, which will possibly be one of the most action-packed yet. Without giving away any spoilers, there will be many new characters introduced and many new challenges for our girls. Hopefully it won't be this long of a wait until next time, but I am eternally grateful for your patience :)_


	40. Tying Loose Ends

_May 1946_

* * *

It took the rest of the weekend for Ro to feel vaguely human again. Even the dragon pox epidemic they'd endured in their second year hadn't left her feeling quiet so terrible, which was saying quite something. She and Poppy both skipped breakfast and lunch the following day, the mere thought of food more than enough to send Ro's stomach lurching again, but they were hungry enough by the Sunday evening to join Minerva and the others in the Great Hall for dinner.

More frustrating than missing the traditional Sunday roast lunch, Ro's favourite meal of the week, was the lost Quidditch practise. With their final match the following weekend Ro had wanted to get in a good hour of practise minimum each day, but it didn't take much insistence from Poppy for her to admit that she needed rest. So Minerva led the team's practise on the Sunday and Monday while Ro recovered back in Gryffindor Tower, still feeling as if her whole body had been dragged through a mangle.

"It went really well," Minerva reported upon returning to the dormitory on Monday night. "Edwin reserved Seeker for us and we played through a whole match. Without wanting to speak too soon, I don't think we've got anything to worry about."

Ro nodded, satisfied. "Glad to hear it. I tried to watch out the window but couldn't see very much, so Poppy and I have been playing chess."

"Didn't Septima work out that you didn't even need to win to get the Quidditch Cup?" Poppy asked, to which Ro and Minerva both nodded. "So there's no need for you to go over the top and scare me again."

Patting Poppy's knee, Ro gave her an apologetic smile. "No-one got hurt in the Ravenclaw match, did they? It's just the Slytherin matches where we take our lives into our hands."

Poppy frowned. "That's not helping."

Ro shrugged. "It's probably not. But my point is that we're going to be absolutely fine. Plus if Minerva could out-Seek Alfred Diggory last year then I shouldn't have any trouble doing it. Not that I doubt your Seeking abilities, Min, but you're much better as a Cha- what in Merlin's name are you doing?"

Minerva had started hugging the bedpost; Ro gave her a confused look before she explained "You're making me nervous, so I'm touching wood until you stop talking!"

By the time the day of the match arrived, Ro couldn't help feeling less confident. Although she had no doubts in the ability of her teammates, she knew that the Hufflepuffs were an equally strong set of players. And though Septima's calculations were reassuring, there was always the chance of a disaster big enough to lose them the Cup at the last minute.

She didn't bother with a pep talk before the match; they'd practised enough that every player knew the team strategy off by heart and she didn't want to make anyone's nerves worse by going through it all again. Nancy was the same rock of unwavering determination as she always was and both Ernest and Cleatus were looking confident, but it was Minerva, Larry and Anthea's pre-match nerves that she was looking out for. When their signal sounded, Ro gave the silent order and they marched as one out onto the pitch.

"And here come the Gryffindors! Hooch, Newton, Spencer-Moon, McGonagall, Campbell, Lawrence, and Weasley. Quite the impressive team put together by our youngest Captain in a good few years, and judging by their previous performances this season they're easily the favourites to win the Quidditch Cup."

"That's a little biased, Miss Jordan," Dumbledore's amused reprimand sounded over the megaphone.

"Sorry Professor, got a little carried away there," Maggie apologised before continuing her commentary. "But everything can change in this final match, and once Madame Douglas blows the whistle then we'll be off."

Ro offered her hand to Hufflepuff's Captain, Rodney Lloyd, and he shook it with a grim look. Marilyn released the Bludgers and the Snitch as both teams mounted their brooms, checking a final time that everyone was ready before throwing up the Quaffle to start the game.

Ignoring the blur of yellow and red that rushed up towards the Quaffle, Ro was already heading towards the Snitch. This match wasn't going to be like the last time they had played against Hufflepuff in her second year; there was no waiting for enough points to be scored before she could catch the Snitch so she just wanted the game over as soon as possible. There were only a few feet between her and victory when Seeker Diggory suddenly flew in front of her and she was forced to swerve around him to avoid a crash. She had no idea what he'd been attempting, but if it had been to lose them both the Snitch then he had succeeded.

Muttering angrily to herself, Ro pivoted the Rocket around to take off in the opposite direction of the other Seeker. No points had been scored by either team, though it was so soon in the game that Ro wasn't surprised. She didn't hand about before racing off in pursuit of the Snitch again, not wanting to risk losing the game through dawdling by watching the Chasers.

It was another 15 minutes before Ro saw the Snitch again, and again she was blocked at the last minute by Diggory. As she reversed away she wondered about his odd tactic; he didn't seem to be trying to catch the Snitch again, just block her from catching it herself. Perhaps he knew that Gryffindor were going to win and was trying to stall the inevitable for as long as possible. If she wanted to catch the Snitch then she'd have to take him by surprise or outmanoeuvre him, though with her trusty Rocket that wasn't going to be difficult.

As she circled around above the pitch, she kept half an eye on what the Chasers were doing. Both Houses had one goal each, and it quickly became obvious that neither team could keep hold of the Quaffle for long before being intercepted. All four Beaters were on top form, making it very difficult for the Chasers to get anywhere near the Scoring Hoops.

Diggory looked to be tailing Ro rather than looking for the Snitch himself, so she felt safe enough to fly over to where Nancy and Ernest were guarding the Gryffindor Chasers. "Forget about their Chasers, go for Stebbins and Jones," she said, motioning to the two Hufflepuff Beaters before flying off without waiting for acknowledgement. It wasn't long before Nancy struck target by hitting Stebbins in the shoulder of his beating arm, showing off the precision that Ro had never seen in any other Beater. Ernest was less accurate and Jones missed the Bludger by the smallest of margins, but it was enough to give Minerva, Larry and Anthea the break that they needed.

With the scoring issue taken care of, Ro turned her full attention back to finding the Snitch. Diggory was still on her tail when she saw it at last, and she wasn't about to let him intercept her for the third time. Thinking back to how she had tricked Ravenclaw back in second year, Ro picked a point about 30 feet above where the Snitch was hovering and zoomed towards it at full throttle.

As she had expected, Diggory appeared just as she reached the imaginary Snitch. But rather than stopping as she'd done previously she shifted her weight sharply to one side, which changed the direction of the broom to send her falling downwards. Keeping remarkably calm despite the speed at which she was losing height, Ro made sure the Rocket was firmly between her legs before letting go to pluck the Snitch out of the air in one hand. With the other hand she grabbed the Rocket's handle and flipped herself over, the Rocket's precision steering responding beautifully to her every move. She was so close to the ground that she felt the grass skim the toe of her boot, but with the Snitch in hand she rose upwards and screamed out a victory cry.

The stands exploded with a deafening roar of applause. Ro was nearly knocked off her broom as Minerva gave her what might have been intended as a hug but felt more like a full body slam. Once on the ground they were united with the rest of the team; Nancy gave her another rib-crushing embrace while Minerva was swept into Larry's arms. After exchanging near-painful high fives with Ernest and Cleatus that left her palms stinging, Ro saw the rest of the House were now leaving the Stands to join them on the pitch.

Poppy appeared through the crowd and hugged first Minerva and then Ro. When Ro caught sight of the frown on her face she knew she was in for a lecture even before Poppy opened her mouth. "Please don't tell me you've made 'falling at breakneck speed towards the ground' your new favourite tactic?" she demanded.

Ro couldn't help but laugh as she pulled Poppy into another hug. "I am truly very sorry for all the panic that my Quidditch playing causes you, and one day I promise I will make it up to you."

"Hmph. If you live long enough." Poppy grumbled into Ro's shoulderpads, before she stepped back and gave Ro a smile. "I am proud of you, I really am. Now go on, you've got a Cup to collect."

Ro turned to see Professor Dippet walking across the pitch towards them, the enormous Quidditch Cup held in his hands. As the Cup was presented to her she was grinning from ear to ear, and she ran her hands across the shiny metal and crimson ribbons with awe. She was given a moment's warning before Ernest and Cleatus lifted her onto their shoulders so she could be seen by the cheering crowds. Holding the Cup above her head she shouted "LIONS FOR THE CUP!" and, as predicted, the Gryffindors went wild upon hearing the slogan written on the banner in the Common Room.

By the time the Quidditch Team arrived back in Gryffindor Tower after changing out of their uniforms, the party was already in full swing. Ro had given the Quidditch Cup to Poppy for safekeeping while she was in the changing room; the first thing she saw when the Fat Lady let them into the Tower was the Cup on the windowsill, with Godric the Puffskein sat happily in the bowl wearing the tiny red and gold hat that Augusta had knitted for him. A selection of food from had been brought from the kitchens and the Wireless had been turned up full volume, blasting out fast-paced songs that fuelled the celebratory atmosphere.

She had just noticed the absence of Honeydukes sweets when Maggie approached her and Minerva out of the crowd. "Makes you miss Fleamont's cloak, eh?" she said, laughing at Ro's look of confusion. "I badgered him into telling me after you two pulled off that prank with the chandelier last Christmas. But don't worry Captain, the boys and I have got a plan."

Ro looked beyond Maggie to where Larry, Ernest and Cleatus were stood, all with identical mischievous expressions. Maggie gave her a conspirative wink before they all left through the portrait hole.

"Are they trying to get into Hogsmeade?" Poppy asked, appearing by her side. "They'll have some trouble without Fleamont's invisibility cloak."

After watching them go, Ro nodded in agreement. "I'm not sure how they'll manage it. They know a few secret passageways though, maybe there's one that leads into Hogsmeade straight from the castle."

Minerva shrugged. "There could well be, we'll have to ask them when they get back." A pause, and then "I was thinking I could have gone because no-one would question a cat in the village, but I'm not sure how I'd carry anything back!"

Ro burst out laughing. "We'd have to build you a tiny version of your schoolbag, you might get one bottle of Butterbeer in there!"

"A cat-satchel, now that's an interesting idea," Minerva said, looking thoughtful for a moment before she suddenly grinned. "Or should I say- a catchel?"

Poppy was in fits of giggles at the terrible pun but Ro just sighed dramatically. "I could hit you," she said, meeting Minerva's wicked grin with an exasperated look.

"Now now Captain Hooch, that's no way to treat your loyal Chaser," Nancy scolded her playfully, handing Ro and Minerva a glass of pumpkin juice each. "What are you lot doing over here? Come and get some food before the rest of the House nicks it all!"

It was a couple of hours before Maggie, Cleatus, Ernest and Larry returned, but it was worth the wait when Ro saw the sheer amount they had brought back with them. Maggie had a bag of Honeydukes sweets on each elbow and the boys all had their arms laden with Butterbeer bottles.

That proved to be a problem when Professor Dumbledore arrived shortly after midnight to ask those still partying to go to bed - the third years and below had been sent to their dormitories by the Prefects an hour after curfew, and some of the seventh years with NEWTs upcoming had turned in too. There were bottles all over the floor, and the instinctive response of nearly everyone was to sit down on them. It didn't cross Ro's mind until after he had entered the Common Room that the sight of several people lying across the floor in the middle of a party was going to look fairly suspicious.

"Miss Newton? Why are you all on the floor?" Professor Dumbledore asked, faintly amused.

Anthea looked very uncomfortable at being on the receiving end of the question; Ro supposed it was because she was the oldest prefect still up. Nancy came to her rescue though with a response that resulted in several hushed sniggers across the Common Room. "Sleeping Lions."

If Professor Dumbledore didn't believe them, which Ro thought was highly likely, then he didn't show it. "Then might I suggest you all be sleeping lions rather than playing it by going back to your beds," he said, failing to conceal his twinkling smile, before he turned back towards the portrait hole.

The minute the portrait had swung shut behind him, the Common Room was filled with laughter. "Oh Nancy that was genius!" Ro exclaimed, high-fiving the triumphant looking sixth year. Poppy was thumping Larry's back to stop him choking on a mouthful of Butterbeer.

"Hey!" yelled a voice, and they all looked up to see the seventh year prefect Bertha Maurice frowning down at them from the balcony where the girls' dormitories were. "Some of us are trying to sleep up here!"

The Quidditch Party was the last time for a few weeks where they were free of studying. With exams fast approaching there was very little free time available since everyone was forced to concentrate on revision. Ro, Minerva and Poppy spent most of their revision time in the Library along with Irma, Septima and Millicent, meaning they could split into smaller groups when revising their elected subjects. Ro found this a lot better than trying to revise alone in silence, as she worked much better when she had someone to talk things through with. When the exams arrived, far too soon for Ro's liking, she was feeling far more confident then she thought she would have done a few weeks ago.

With exams over and the end of term fast approaching, their focus turned from studying to the summer holiday. Although they had said on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the year that they'd try to spend the summer together, organising a way to do that turned out to be a lot easier said than done. Septima and Irma's house was absolutely out of the question, and both Minerva and Millicent's families weren't going to be keen on having six student witches staying for the holiday. Poppy's parents had agreed to take them the following summer, keen to meet Poppy's friends but concerned that London was still being rebuilt in places from the damage caused by the Muggle War. With nowhere else for them to go, Ro reluctantly suggested that they spend the summer in Little Wakering.

Ro's emotions were in turmoil when they arrived via Floo from Erika's London flat. She hadn't been back to her childhood home since the single day she's spent there after being released from St Mungos. Kurtis had assumed ownership of the house and had lived there with his long-term girlfriend ever since, and Ro didn't know whether or not she was glad to see the house looking different in places. Some things had remained untouched, like Ro's attic bedroom and the family photos on every wall, but some of the old furniture had been replaced and the master bedroom that had once been her mum's had been completely redone for Kurtis and Carrie.

"It's odd," she confessed as they all sat on the attic room's balcony, watching the sunset their first evening there. "I don't really know what I was expecting. On one hand I thought it would all be exactly the same as how I'd left it, but on the other hand so much has changed since then that I thought the house would have changed too."

Poppy nodded. "I thought the same when I went home last year after the evacuation. But even though it looks the same, it didn't really feel like home."

"I suppose Hogwarts is more home now than anything else." Septima suggested, and there were quiet noises of agreement from all around.

"We do spend all but less than 2 months a year there, so I suppose it should do really. But I think it's partly the lack of magic that makes home seem... not home." Minerva said, staring thoughtfully into the distance. "I don't know how anyone could turn their back on magic like my mother did. Being without my wand feels like someone's taken off my right arm."

Millicent and Poppy were both nodding firmly; Ro figured that as Muggleborns they'd feel the absence of magic even more than Minerva did. "It seems ridiculous to think that this time four years ago I didn't know anything about magic at all." Millicent said, pausing for a moment before correcting herself "Well, I'd found about magic when Professor Dumbledore visited me on my birthday in April, but I still didn't really know what it meant."

"I still didn't know, my birthday is later this month. I only had 5 weeks to get all my supplies ready for September- that was a very busy summer!" Poppy said, smiling at the memory.

"That's not long to get used to the idea of magic! I'm glad I had a few months. " Millicent laughed.

Ro sighed, leaning back in her chair to rest her feet on the balcony barrier. "I can't imagine not knowing about magic. I grew up seeing Mum and... and Dad use it all the time, and I was only 4 when Kurtis turned 17."

Her voice had tightened after saying the word 'mum' and she bowed her head forward in an attempt to hide the tears she could feel building up in her eyes. She had hardly spoken of her mother in the year and a bit since her death, and being in her house meant that her emotions had caught her by surprise. She looked over as Poppy put a comforting hand on hers, squeezing it gently in a gesture of thanks.

There was a comfortable quiet for a moment before Irma spoke up, having been silent for most of the conversation. "I'm not sure Hogwarts does feel like home to me. I don't actually think I know what home feels like at all, because where I grew up never did and the dungeons certainly don't either. But if home is where you feel safe and where you... where you feel like you matter, I suppose, then home for me is wherever you all are."

Minerva was grinning, putting an arm around Irma's shoulders to pull her into a side-hug. "We got through in the end then," said Minerva, and Irma gave a genuine smile.

Ro agreed with her entirely. Her friends had been there for her during the hardest time of her life; without them her recovery would have been so much harder, because she wouldn't have the five of people she had recovered for. She wouldn't have the way Poppy could give comfort with just a gentle touch, the way Minerva could bring an instant smile to her face with a single witty remark, the way Septima could lighten any situation with her infectious laugh, the way Millicent could make anything seem simple with her infallible logic, and the way Irma could give her grounding with just her calming presence.

They were more than just her friends now. They were her family.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _I. Freaking. Love. This. Chapter._

 _At long last we've finished fourth year, concluded by Irma simultaneously warming and breaking our hearts in one small speech. I love these characters so much, and I hope that came across in the end of this chapter._  
 _I've enjoyed this year, but I think the lack of overall running plot might have contributed to why it's taken far far longer than usual to write. Fifth year has a big running plot though that I am actually so excited to get started on. And from here on in the story is pretty much completely planned out, which is a nice feeling._

 _I hope all of you had a good Christmas/Hanukkah/December! I certainly did: if you've read my bio then you'll know that I'm hoping for a career as a vet. Well I had an interview at the Royal Veterinary College in mid-December, and just before Christmas I was offered a place. I am beyond excited and still can't quite believe it!_  
 _Since university starts in late September, I am so hoping to get this finished before then. I'll have to take a break during the exam period, but I will write like crazy over the summer to get it done if needs be._

 _Until next time :)_


	41. Different Challenges

_August 1946_

* * *

Despite not being allowed to use her wand while at Little Wakering, it felt to Poppy like she had never fully left the world of magic. She thought of the summer as the perfect mix of her magic and Muggle lives; the could spent a day in the bustling city of Southend, walking down the pier like any normal teenage girls, but then return to the house to see Kurtis and Carrie using magic without even a second thought. They could be looking down on Southend from the top of the Ferris wheel in the morning and looking down over Abbott Hall Farm from their broomsticks in the afternoon. Although she missed the excitement of Hogwarts and the thrill of learning new spells, she would have been happy for that summer to last forever.

With the arrival of the booklists at the end of August, the start of term suddenly felt within reach. The girls were sat eating breakfast at the kitchen table when six Hogwarts owls arrived, depositing six letters on the table when Ro let them in through the window. They were all sealed with the Hogwarts crest and addressed to each of them by name, but every envelope bore the address of the Little Wakering House.

"I'll always wonder how they know where to send these," Poppy commented, taking her own letter. "We never mentioned to any of the teachers that we were all staying here, did we? So how on Earth did they know?"

Minerva made an explosion-like hand gesture. "Magic," she said, grinning.

"Wow, I'd never have guessed." Ro deadpanned, hitting Minerva across the head with her letter before giving it to her.

"Ow, that hurt!" Minerva complained, shaking the envelope by her ear. "There's something hard in here!"

There was silence for a moment, before Septima gasped. "We're fifth years! Prefect badges!"

The atmosphere at the table instantly changed from relaxed to a tense excitement. "Everyone open them on the count of three. And if you've got a badge then don't drop it into your juice or it'll be sticky for ages- take it from me!" Ro said, pausing briefly as everyone laughed before she continued "OK then: one, two, thr-"

The rest of her countdown was lost under the sound of ripping paper. There was nothing in Poppy's envelope other than the booklist and the usual information letter, but she hadn't expected to be made Prefect when in competition with someone as amazing as Minerva.

"I've got it," said Minerva; Poppy could tell she was smiling even before she looked up. There was a scarlet badge in her hand with the word 'PREFECT' written across the centre in golden letters, which glimmered as the sunlight caught it.

"So have I!" Millicent shouted, brandishing a sapphire-blue version of Minerva's badge. She hugged Septima before leaning across the table to high-five Minerva, grinning from ear to ear.

Irma gave a sharp intake of breath, reaching into her envelope and pulling out an emerald-coloured badge. "I don't believe it," she said with utter disbelief in her tone, looking around the table with a shocked smile on her face.

"Why are you so surprised? Out of you, Druella, and Eileen, I think it's obvious that you're the best choice." Poppy laughed gently.

"Is it? I thought Druella would get it for sure." Irma shook her head, still smiling. She suddenly frowned as she continued "I wonder if that was Druella's punishment for her part in the ipecac incident?"

Minerva nodded thoughtfully. "It could be. It'll be interesting to see if Malfoy has been made a prefect or not."

"Poppy, Septima and I are going to have to watch our behaviour now with you three as Prefects!" Ro laughed, nudging Poppy with her elbow.

"Well maybe that might put you off doing anything stupid!" Poppy retorted playfully, nudging her back as everyone laughed at Ro's offended expression.

With only a few days left before term began, the rest of their time was spent getting ready for the return to Hogwarts. Erika and Johnnie took them into Diagon Alley to get their new textbooks and school supplies, then they were faced with the massive task of getting their trunks packed. With all six of them sleeping in the attic bedroom their belongings had unsurprisingly become very mixed up, and making sure everyone had their own clothes in particular was a long task. Poppy didn't even realise she had picked up a Ravenclaw tie by mistake until Millicent complained that hers was missing, Irma and Septima had managed to swap shoes, and it became very quickly obvious that Ro had Minerva's robe when she tried it on and the material pooled around her ankles.

The morning of September 1st was, unsurprisingly, absolute chaos. Rather than taking the Floo to Erika and Johnnie's flat like they usually did when getting from Little Wakering to London, this time they went to Ro's Uncle and Aunt's house was on the outskirts of the city. All three of Ro's cousins were going with them, with Emery in third year, Heidi a year below and Anja starting her first term, so Uncle Georg and Aunt Mabel somehow packed all nine of them in their magically expanded car before setting off for King's Cross. They met up with Minerva's mother in the Muggle part of the station along with Malcolm and Robbie, also going to Hogwarts for the first time, before piling through the barrier onto the platform.

Even though it was her fifth time going to Hogwarts, Poppy couldn't suppress her grin at seeing the Hogwarts Express again. The platform was packed with families saying goodbye and friends reuniting after the summer, though since all six of them were already together they just headed straight for the train. Minerva, Millicent and Irma had to go down to the Prefect's carriage for their first Prefect meeting, so it was just Poppy, Ro and Septima in their compartment when the Hogwarts Express left London.

"And off we go again," Septima said, watching out the window as the train pulled out of the station. "I can't believe we're here yet again. The time's gone so fast when you think about it."

Ro nodded. "We're over halfway through our education."

"Let's not think about it," Poppy shook her head hurriedly. "We've still got another three years, let's just enjoy them. Or they'll all be gone before we've even noticed."

Ro let out a sigh, leaning back to lie across the whole of one seat. "This is nice, we're not packed together like sardines for once."

"It won't be so nice if I do this," Septima said, hopping up to sit on Ro's stomach.

"Get off me you great lump!" Ro squeaked.

Laughing at Ro's feeble attempts to throw her off, Septima beckoned for Poppy to join her. "Give me a hand here, she's winning!"

Poppy needed no persuasion, sitting beside Septima to pin Ro's legs down. Ro continued protesting for a few minutes as Poppy and Septima just laughed, before she gave in with a groan. "Don't you think two against one is just a little bit unfair?"

"Nope," declared Septima, setting them both off giggling again.

The sound of the compartment door accompanied by an exasperated sigh made them both look up. "Do I even want to know what's happening in here?" Minerva asked.

"Those prefect choices are all becoming clear now," Millicent continued in a dramatic tone, sitting down on the other seat. "These three just need constant supervision!"

"Oi," Ro said, glaring at her before looking up at Poppy and Septima. "Release me immediately or I'll get these three to give you detentions!"

Poppy and Septima both glanced at the three Prefects, and at Minerva's knowing look they both jumped off to let Ro sit up. "Who are the other Prefects in our year?" Poppy asked.

"Lyall Lupin for Gryffindor, Robert Fawley for Ravenclaw, Sylvia Macmillan and Alfred Diggory for Hufflepuff, and Alphard Black for Slytherin." Minerva said.

Irma nodded. "We were right about the ipecac punishments affecting Prefect choices- Orion Black has been replaced by Eugene Bulstrode."

"I'd loved to have been a fly on the wall in that conversation," Millicent muttered, and Poppy had to agree with her.

"What about Head Boy and Head Girl?" Ro asked.

Minerva glanced at Irma and Millicent before saying "I think it's Olive Hornby from Slytherin as Head Girl, and Benjamin Bones from Hufflepuff as Head Boy."

"They're chosen from the Prefects, right?" Septima asked.

Ro nodded, but then shrugged. "Usually, but not always. Both Mallory and Tavin were Prefects and then Head Boy. Kurtis was a Prefect too but didn't get Head Boy, and Erika was Quidditch Captain instead."

"So all of your brothers were Prefects, and you and your sister were both Quidditch Captain!" Irma pointed out, and Ro laughed in agreement.

"What's it like having siblings at Hogwarts too?" Millicent asked, looking at the twins as she added "I know you two have got each other, but I mean a sibling not in your year."

Septima nodded, glancing at Irma. "I know what you mean. I've always felt like you're more of a friend than a sister. Not meaning to be nasty."

Irma smiled. "None taken, and likewise. Especially these days."

"It was nice when I was younger since I had them to look up to. They sent me letters all the time, and would always come home for Christmas to spend it with the whole family." Ro said, smiling in reminiscence. "But now they've all left it doesn't make much difference, except when I get compared to them in lessons. Slughorn's the worst for it."

Millicent gave a slight sigh. "It's strange to think that Tabitha would be starting Hogwarts this year if she was magical too. Is it common for Muggleborns to be the only magical child? I know Bonnie and Harvey Dale are both Muggleborns, but they're the only ones I can think of."

Minerva nodded. "I think so. It's a shame, she could have been friends with Robbie and Anja if she came to Hogwarts."

Poppy stayed quiet; as the one only child out of the six of them she couldn't draw on any experiences when it came to talking about siblings. She wasn't sure she'd have wanted a brother or sister when she was a young child living in London, since she'd been happy having her parents as her friends and no-one else. But when she looked around the people in her compartment, she knew that the line between friends and sisters had been blurred long ago.

The conversation had lulled slightly, so Poppy rummaged in her bag for a moment before pulling out her deck of cards. "Who's up for Exploding Snap?" She asked, and was met by five eager faces.

The journey passed as quickly as it always seemed to. For once they had no catching up to do from the summer holiday, so they spent the time playing games or practising simple spells to get them back into the swing of things. The trolley lady came round and they brought sensible lunch food rather than sweets, since they were still well stocked from their trip to Honeydukes while in Diagon Alley a few days before. When the sun started to set over the distant hills they all dropped off to sleep one by one, knowing well that they would be up late with the Start of Term Feast that evening.

A loud whistle woke Poppy up, and she looked out of the window to see Hogsmeade Station outside. Ro was still asleep with her head resting on Poppy's shoulder, so she elbowed her awake and said "We're here!" loudly into her ear. Everyone else had already woken up; Septima and Minerva had clambered onto the seats to pull their bags down from the overhead storage, while Irma was helping Millicent retrieve her wand from where it had fallen through the seat cushions. Once they were all satisfied that they hadn't left anything behind, they left the train behind and found a carriage that would take them down to the castle.

It was cold as they walked up the steps into the Entrance Hall, and Poppy pulled her robes a little tighter around herself. But as soon as she stepped through the door she could feel the heat from the wall-mounted torches which casted a fiery glow over everyone's faces. She couldn't help but smile as they walked into the Great Hall; seeing the House banners suspended from the ceiling and hearing the background noise of animated chatter reminded her of what she had missed over the summer.

Septima and Millicent departed for the Ravenclaw table while waving enthusiastically at their other dormmates while Irma just gave them a tight-lipped smile before she slipped through the crowd towards the Slytherin end of the Hall. Poppy, Minerva and Ro made their way down to their own Table where the crowd of Gryffindors was already massive. There were numerous greeting shouted in their direction from members of the Quidditch Team, as well as the four boys in fifth year.

Ro was stood on tiptoes as she scanned the table- Poppy smirked at her attempt to give herself more height that didn't really work very well. "We'll have to sit on the floor at this rate- I can't see one spare seat!"

"Hey Minerva! Over here!" Poppy turned at the voice to see Larry-Spencer Moon waving at them, a large space next to him from where Nearly-Headless Nick had left to talk to a group of second-years. Glad that they'd be able to sit together after all, Poppy followed Minerva down the aisle and exchanged a knowing glance with Ro as Larry jumped up to pull Minerva into a hug.

Poppy sat down next to Minerva as Ro slid across the table to sit in the seat opposite, upsetting the goblets and plates which were thankfully still empty. "Good summer, Larry?" she asked as she slid into the seat next to Nancy Campbell.

Larry tutted at Ro's attempt to rearrange the cutlery. "In front of three Prefects, how dare you!" he said with mock offense. Poppy was wondering who the third Prefect was before she remembered that Anthea Newton, sat on Nancy's other side, was also a Prefect.

Ro sighed dramatically. "Merlin, I'm really in for it now. Though if you report me I can take all three of you off my Quidditch Team," she laughed, putting particular emphasis on the 'my'.

Nancy scoffed. "Empty threats, Captain Hooch. You want that Cup too much to even consider it."

Silence fell over the Hall as the doors flew open, with Professor Dumbledore leading a long line of first years up the centre of the Hall to begin the Sorting Ceremony. There was an almighty cheer as the first two names on the register, Beatrice Amberley and Carlin Anderson, both ended up joining the Gryffindor Table, but they were followed by a long spate of new members for the other three Houses. The next new Gryffindor was Anja Hooch followed closely by Robbie McGonagall, neither of them to anyone's surprise. The ceremony was concluded by another pair of Gryffindors, Isaac Wood and Ellen Young, joining the group of new additions who were sat down the far end of the table.

As Professor Dumbledore took his seat at the Staff Table, Professor Dippet stood up to make his usual speech. "I have much to tell you this evening. But I am sure that are all hungry from your long journey, so I won't keep you waiting for any longer. Tuck in, everybody, and after we are all fed then I will tell you everything you need to know."

Food had appeared on the plates as soon as the Headmaster sat back down, and no-one wasted any time before loading their plates. Lunch felt like forever ago as Poppy tucked into her dinner, and judging from the mountain of mashed potato on Ro's plate she wasn't the only one. The roast dinner was followed by a massive assortment of puddings- so many that choosing just one was near impossible. Poppy and Minerva ended up swapping their plates every few bites so they could have both the treacle tart and the apple pie, while Ro was perfectly content sticking with her favourite chocolate cake. Once everyone had finished the plates were vanished clean, and Professor Dippet stood back up to begin his speech.

"We'll begin with the customary notices," he started. "As per usual, the Forest is out of bounds to all except under teacher supervision and only third-year students and above are permitted to visit Hogsmeade village on designated weekends. However I must inform you all that the inter-House Quidditch Tournament will not be taking place this year."

The quiet that descended over the Hall was instantly shattered by numerous outraged voices. "You can't do that!" Ro yelled, and Nancy slammed her fists onto the table in agreement. Minerva and Anthea were exchanging horrified looks, both rendered speechless by the news, but Larry didn't seem to be too surprised. It wasn't just the Gryffindors who were unhappy with the announcement; on the Ravenclaw table next to them, Nina Hilliard and Philip Ackerley were shouting angrily while Peggy Gilbert looked close to tears.

It was a few minutes before Professor Dippet could make himself heart again, looking a little flustered behind the golden podium. "If you let me explain, then perhaps we can avoid a revolution," he said, and the shouting died down into a mutinous murmuring. "Months of planning have gone into organising this event, and I doubt anyone will remain disappointed for long. It gives me very great pleasure to reveal at last that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year!"

Again Larry didn't seem surprised by the announcement, and Ro whipped her head around to look at him. "You knew, didn't you? You're the Minister's son for Merlin's sake, you must have known!"

Larry laughed. "Father did try to keep it from me, but with all the delegates we've had visiting over the summer it didn't last very long. I don't know the fine details though, Winston and I weren't allowed to listen in too much."

Professor Dippet continued to speak, hushing the excited chatter that had broken out. "Some of you will know about the Tournament but to others among us this will be a new experience, so I'll apologise to those who already know what I am about to say. The Triwizard Tournament was a friendly competitive event between the three largest schools of magic in Europe; Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and ourselves. A single champion was chosen from each school to compete in three magical tasks, which ranged in the skills required but were all difficult and dangerous. Although the Tournament was an excellent way of establishing foreign ties and international relations, it was discontinued after the death toll simply rose too high."

Poppy frowned at the mention of a deal toll; in her opinion a single death was too many, let alone a whole list of them. "So much for a friendly competition," Minerva whispered in her ear, bringing a slight smile to her face.

"There have been numerous attempts to reinstate the Tournament, and the Department of Magical Sports and Games have decided that it is high time for another try. With the War so close behind us it was suggested that it would be beneficial to improve the relationships between young witches and wizards of different nationalities, in hope that an atrocity of that scale will never happen again."

There was a moment's silence following the mention of the War. It had only been a little over a year since Grindlewald's defeat, so it was still a raw subject for the many people involved. Poppy glanced in Ro's direction, knowing the extent that she had suffered as a result, but her expression was unreadable.

"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in late October along with their nominated contenders, and the selection of the three champions will take place on Halloween night. More will be revealed once our foreign visitors have arrived, so for now I wish you all a good night and another successful year."

Suddenly realising how tired she was, Poppy was glad to be heading up to Gryffindor Tower. She and Ro both waited in the Common Room as Minerva and the other Prefects directed the first years up to their bedrooms, remembering back to their first night at Hogwarts when Augusta had done that job for them. The dormitory was exactly as they had left it in July, though the bookcase was looking very bare and it was looking tidier than it would probably be for another year with everything still in their trunks. Poppy's bed was already wonderfully warm- she assumed someone had put a bedpan between the sheets- and she sighed contentedly as she rested her head on the pillow.

"This Tournament had better be good to make up for no Quidditch," Ro said as she jumped onto her own bed. "Do you think you'll put your name forward?"

Minerva sighed as she took her glasses off. "I'm tempted. What about you?"

Ro nodded. "I think so. Tavin works in the Department of Magical Sport and he's told me loads about it- I can't believe he kept it secret from us all summer." She paused before flashing Minerva a grin. "I'll do it if you do."

Returning the smile, Minerva laughed "Alright, you're on!"

A feeling of dread had settled in the pit of Poppy's stomach, and she pulled the duvet up to her ears in an attempt to muffle out their conversation. All of a sudden she wasn't sure that the year was going to be as quiet as she'd hoped.

* * *

 _Author's Note_  
 _And this is the big event that I've been planning for fifth year! Arguably it was this plot point that inspired me to write the story in the first place- I saw a headcanon of Tumblr suggesting that Prof McGonagall had competed in the Tournament herself which got the cogs spinning in my mind. I'm excited :D_

 _Now before anyone points out that it doesn't fit in with canon, I know. I didn't realise that the Tournament had been discontinued and the 1994 one was an attempt to restart it, I watched the movies before I read the books so had already planned this before finding that out. But it was mentioned that there had been numerous attempts to restart it, so I'm using that as my excuse!_

 _Until next time :)_


	42. Setting the Stage

_September 1946_

* * *

Despite the Triwizard Tournament looming on the horizon, school continued as normal for the first couple of months. The work was just as demanding as Minerva remembered it since the teachers were preparing the new fifth years for their OWL exams later that year. Even Quidditch practise was on as usual; unable to bear a whole year away from the pitch, Ro had managed to convince Professor Dippet that the four Quidditch Captains could still run sessions and organise their own tournament.

"It won't be as serious as it usually is," Ro explained to the Gryffindor Team at their first gathering since before the summer. "No points or a trophy or anything, just a bit of fun. So we can set our own match dates and play each House more than once if we wanted to. And we can only run it until the Easter Holiday because after that they need the stadium for the Triwizard Tournament."

Nancy nodded eagerly. "Sounds great, good job Ro. At least Anthea and I will still get to play a few more times before we leave."

There was an all-round sigh at Nancy's last comment; Minerva had forgotten that this was the last year with that particular Quidditch Team. "We've got another year before we need to start thinking about that," Ernest huffed, flicking his hand at Nancy in a shooing motion which made her smile.

"But along those lines, it does mean that you can just enjoy your last year without just worrying about winning," Minerva pointed out.

Laughing, Nancy gave an indifferent shrug. "It'll be the last year of that for a while then. You'll have to let me know the match dates when they're sorted out, since Dumbledore's going to ask a few teams to come in and watch me."

"Professor Dippet already mentioned that to me," Ro nodded, "It's not just you, Tomoko Chang from the Ravenclaw Team's planning on going professional too. Ackerley and I agreed that we'd sort out a date for our match that all the teams you both wanted could make."

Once Nancy had agreed and there were no more questions asked, Ro's smile turned into wild grin. "Now, are we here to talk or are we here to fly? Five laps of the stadium to warm up, let's get this show on the road!"

Minerva always loved watching Ro in her element; just like Professor Dumbledore often told her that she had a flair for Transfiguration, it couldn't be denied that Ro had been born to fly. She had no doubt that when their time came around she would be following in Nancy's footsteps, and Minerva had to admit that she was slowly warming to the prospect too. Although she had considered possibly a career in the Ministry or something else where magic would be the focus of her life, she fancied the idea of a few years of comparative freedom before tying herself down with a job like that.

It quickly became clear that she wasn't the only one thinking of their futures. While eating breakfast at the Gryffindor Table near the end of October, they were interrupted by a young Slytherin bearing several rolls of parchment tied up with ribbon. Minerva only knew her as Clementine Vance because she was friends with Ro's cousin Heidi and she'd caught the pair of them running the halls after curfew numerous times.

Reading out from a list of names, Clementine glanced around the six of them before she said "I'm supposed to give these to… Minerva McGonagall, Rolanda Hooch, Poppy Pomfrey, Irma Vector and Septima Vector."

"Well that's us alright," Ro said, taking five parchment rolls from Clementine and handing them around.

There was no mention of a roll for Millicent, and before Minerva had a chance to ask Clementine was already out of earshot. Millicent just gave a confused shrug and motioned for them to continue, so Minerva unrolled her parchment and read aloud " _Miss McGonagall, I would be delighted if you would join us for dinner in my office at 6pm Sincerely, Professor H.E.F. Slughorn_."

Poppy nodded as she looked down at her own slip of parchment. "They must all say the same."

"It seems we have been invited into the Slug Club." Irma said, continuing when her words were met by four confused looks. "He likes to get together students with connections. People with important parents, or sometimes those who are just particularly talented by themselves."

Ro was the only one who didn't look confused, and Minerva supposed that was because her older siblings had already been through Hogwarts under Professor Slughorn. This was confirmed when she said "Kurtis wasn't recruited until his sixth year; I guess 'Hooch' didn't mean anything before him. Everyone else got grabbed in fifth year though, same as us. Can't say I expected it though, I've never thought he liked me much. Though Erika got dropped when she told him she wasn't going to play Quidditch professionally so at least I've got that in my favour."

"Well I'm really looking forward to this evening then," Minerva said drily.

"Will you be ok at dinner if we're all there," Septima asked Millicent, bringing Minerva back to the matter of why Millicent didn't receive an invite.

Millicent shrugged again, not looking particularly upset though her face had lost its signature smile. "S'alright, I'll sit with Bonnie and Emily. As long as they haven't been invited too."

Minerva looked towards the Ravenclaw table to try and pick out Millicent and Septima's dormmates, sighing internally when she saw that only Mali Shafiq had a roll of parchment in her hand. "I think you'll be fine," she said, though Millicent's unreadable gaze did nothing to reassure her.

Upon arriving in Professor Slughorn's office, Minerva's first thought was that it resembled a five star restaurant more than an office. A round table had been set up in the centre of the floor, the more customary office furniture pushed to the walls in order to make room for it. Professor Slughorn quickly ushered them to the table where there were five seats remaining, before he sat down too with a beaming smile on his face.

"Now that we're all here, we can begin," he said, flicking his wand and conjuring up food in a style that reminded Minerva of how food appeared at the Start of Term Feast. "I only invited my fifth year students tonight, so I'm sure there is no need for introductions."

Minerva looked around the table, reassured to notice that practically everyone looked as though they would much rather be somewhere else. There was Mali, as she had expected, as well as Hector Bones, Sylvia Macmillan, Duane Inglebee, and far too many Slytherins for Minerva's liking. Though she could admit to liking Alphard Black much more than she had anticipated, the presence of Abraxas Malfoy and Druella Rosier was far less welcomed considering what the pair had put them through at the end of fourth year.

"Tuck in, all of you!" Professor Slughorn urged loudly, waiting for them all to load their plates before turning to Ro who was in the unfortunate position of being sat next to the Professor. "Tell me, Miss Hooch, how are your brothers all getting on?"

Ro merely blinked at him for a second as she rapidly chewed on the mouthful of food that she had only eaten a second beforehand. Minerva rolled her eyes, though couldn't help but think of what Ro had said earlier when the fact she had a sister too was conveniently forgotten. "Mallory and Tavin have been really busy what with the Tournament coming up, especially Tavin since his Department did lots of the organising. Kurtis still works in the Auror Office, and he got engaged recently." That piece of news had reached Ro via Owl Post a few days ago, and Ro's excitement levels were yet to return to normal.

Professor Slughorn gave a delighted clap. "Such wonderful news! And who might be the lucky lady?"

"Carrie MacDougal."

"Ah yes, I remember dear Caroline. Another excellent student of mine, a truly talented potioneer." Professor Slughorn said, before his attentions suddenly switched to Poppy. "And speaking of potioneers, I am sure my next protégée is sitting right at this table! Even without considering your Muggleborn heritage you are truly remarkable, Miss Pomfrey, I must ask what your parents do to influence your talent?"

Poppy had blushed a deep red under the combination of Professor Slughorn's praise and Druella's thinly veiled stare. "W-well, my father is a doctor and my mother is a nurse. They work in a Muggle hospital like St Mungos."

Professor Slughorn regarded her intently, wearing a thoughtful expression. "I always find it intriguing how Muggles cope without magic in their everyday lives. Am I right in hearing that you plan on becoming a Mediwitch yourself?" At Poppy's nod, Professor Slughorn beamed yet again. "Following in their footsteps, that's always what I like to hear."

After interrogating Poppy briefly on the differences between Muggle and Magical medicine, Professor Slughorn moved onto Mali. The usually confident Ravenclaw seemed a lot more apprehensive under his direct attention- Minerva remembered Septima telling her that the Professor often had to reprimand Mali and Bonnie for talking during Potions lessons. She fiddled absent-mindedly with the edge of her hijab as she answered his questions about the wellbeing of her aunt, who turned out to be a high ranking member of the Wizengamot and a good friend of the Minister for Magic.

Once he had squeezed every last bit of information out of Mali, Professor Slughorn's gaze turned to Septima and Irma. Minerva immediately put down the forkful of mashed potato she had been about to eat and watched the twins nervously. Stealing a sideways glance, she could see in Poppy's worried gaze and the beginning of a wince in Ro's expression. If the Professor planned on having a similar conversation with Irma, then Minerva doubted it would end well.

"What a delight it is to have not one but two descendants of this century's greatest arithmancer!" Professor Slughorn boomed, twirling his walrus-like moustache. It was clear he hadn't noticed that the tension in the room was so thick Minerva was practically choking on it. "Such a pity I was only given the pleasure of having one of you in my own House. At least one of you must be planning on continuing on his legacy?"

Irma stayed stonily quiet, and Minerva let out an inaudible sigh when Septima's talking ended the beginnings of silence. "Oh yes definitely, I've always loved Arithmancy. I've wanted to do a job like my father's since before I came to Hogwarts though, there was a class about numbers in the Muggle school we went to. They called it Maths and it was still interesting even without magic." It was obvious that Septima was rambling in the hope that the Professor would be satisfied with her answer and not insist Irma answer the question too, and as Minerva watched him, Septima, and Poppy discussing in depth what Maths was she began to think that Septima's plan might have succeeded.

Her hopes were dashed though when Professor Slughorn met Irma's gaze with a cheery expression that made it clear he had no idea what he had just let himself in for. "And my own Miss Vector, did you enjoy this Maths business too? With a father such as yours I don't doubt that he would guide your interests towards taking up his own career path! Such a pity he wasn't a student of mine- before my time you see- but I've heard countless wonderful things about him."

There was a snort to Minerva's left as Ro accidentally inhaled her Gillywater, and Minerva would have cracked a smile too if she weren't looking so intently at Irma. Minerva thought saying that Franklin Vector had tried to guide Irma's interests would be an incredible understatement, her mind cast back to when Irma had been sobbing in her arms before the start of third year because she had been forced to take up Arithmancy as an elective when she had been determined not to.

Irma held Professor Slughorn's earnest gaze until the quiet in the room began to grow awkward, and only then did the Professor's smile begin to falter. In an icily calm tone, Irma said "With all due respect sir, I feel I should inform you that there has been a long-standing lack of affection between my father and I. He holds me in low regard and I care very little about his career, so have no intention of using my own to continue any legacy of his."

There was no response to Irma's controlled outburst; even the other Slytherins were silent which Minerva was grateful for. Pale green eyes held cool brown for several seconds until Professor Slughorn gave a nervous cough and looked elsewhere. "What about your father, Mr Bones, last I heard he had recently received a promotion within his Department?"

The meal seemed to drag on forever, though in reality it was only a couple of hours before they were finally released from Professor Slughorn's office. Minerva had been watching Irma subtly for the entire time, concerned that the Professor's nosiness had upset her but unable to talk to her while still sat at the dinner table. She seemed almost remarkably unfazed, though as always Minerva wasn't sure how much of that was her reluctance to share how she was feeling. Minerva was reluctant to bring up her father for the second time in one evening so didn't mention it; besides, they had promised to meet up with Millicent before curfew though so they were short on time as it was.

When they found Millicent, she was sat on the sill of the bay window in the seventh floor corridor that looked out over the Quidditch pitch. Minerva could tell instantly that something was wrong from the way she had drawn her legs up to her chest and was resting her chin on her knees. She looked up when Septima called her name, giving them all a very unconvincing smile. "Hi. How was it?"

"Very boring," Septima said, hopping up onto the windowsill to sit beside her. "What's wrong? You look upset?"

Millicent sighed, which in itself was never a good sign. She swung her legs down so that there was room for all of them to join her on the sill, and it was a couple of seconds before she started to speak. "I don't know. I just... sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough for all of this."

"What do you mean?" Poppy asked, looking as confused as Minerva felt.

"I don't know," she repeated miserably, leaning her head back to rest on the window. "But this Slug Club thing just goes to show it. You've all got some special skill that you were born to do. Septima you can do Arithmancy like you've been doing it all your life; Poppy your healing magic is amazing; Ro you're probably the best flyer I've ever seen; Minerva you're basically Dumbledore's protégée; and Irma your Charms are literally perfect. Then there's just me, just average at everything. I'll never be as good as the rest of you."

"Merlin's Beard, Millie, is this what's been bothering you all day?" Ro asked, looking aghast. Millicent gave the tiniest nod as Septima put an arm around your shoulders. "We wouldn't care if you were worst student in the year, we'd still love you for who you are."

For all of Ro's good intentions, Minerva could tell that her attempt at reassurance was missing the mark. "And besides, there are so many things that you are good at," she said. "You're far from average, just because there's not one thing you can do especially well it doesn't mean that you're not good enough."

Millicent sniffed and blinked a couple of times as she nodded again. Minerva could see tears pooling in her hazel eyes as Millicent looked at her and asked "Like what."

"You're really good at Ancient Runes, much better than all of us," Poppy said, and Minerva gave an encouraging nod

Ro was frowning thoughtfully as she started to speak. "How do I word this? You can just make sense of everything. If I've got a problem the first person I ask is always you because when you talk through it with me it suddenly seems so simple. No-one else can do that better than you."

"And let's not forget," Septima said, reaching over with her free hand and touching the blue Prefect badge pinned to Millicent's robes, "that Professor Merrythought would never have given you this if she didn't think you were good enough. You're the perfect choice; everyone likes you, the firsties actually listen to you, and like Ro said you always know the right thing to say."

Ro nodded when Septima mentioned her name. "So don't worry about the stupid Slug Club, it's overrated anyway." She met Millicent's gaze with a grin, and Minerva felt her worry lesson when Millicent returned it with a small smile.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not convinced that he'll be inviting me back anytime soon." Irma said offhandedly. "If he values our links to important relatives more than ourselves then I'm of little interest to him. In that case there'll be two of us sitting here while everyone else is enjoying the fine dining."

Millicent laughed then, rubbing the sleeve of her robe under her eyes. "Thanks, all of you" she said, smiling widely as she looked around at them all.

"Now that we've got that cleared up, we should probably head off to bed," Septima sighed, checking the tiny clock that she always wore around her neck. "I imagine we'll be up late tomorrow with the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students arriving!"

The atmosphere throughout the whole of the next day reminded Minerva of the hour or so before a Quidditch match. No-one was paying attention to lessons, to the point where Professor Merrythought gave up on her attempt at a theory lesson and let them all duel instead while she sat and watched. After they were let out of their final lesson, Minerva, Ro and Poppy hurried back up to Gryffindor Tower to drop off their bags before hurrying back down to the Entrance Hall where the entire school had been instructed to meet.

Everyone seemed to have gone the extra mile for when the foreign visitors arrived. As soon as they arrived down the Grand Staircase they were pounced on by the seventh year prefects who had been tasked with organising the students into lines according to House and year. Teachers were walking around and making sure that everyone's uniform was worn correctly- Minerva smirked as she caught sight of Professor Olwen watching Malcolm and Emery tuck their shirts in, and there was a commotion in the Slytherin line as Professor Callisto forced a loudly complaining Druella to do up her tie properly. Professor Merrythought was getting increasingly agitated as she tried and failed to tie the ribbon of her hat under her chin with her one hand before Professor Aurelius eventually stepped in to help, and Professor Dippet was hurrying about at a surprising speed and giving out instructions that no-one seemed to be listening to. Once the clock chimed 6, the Heads of House gathered by the doors and lead out their Houses one by one.

There had been no mention of exactly how the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students would be actually arriving, so there were heads turning in all directions as everyone wanted to catch the first glimpse of the visitors. Minerva wrapped her cloak tight around her arms as they were hit by the evening breeze, pulling a shivering Poppy into her arms in an attempt to warm her up while Ro just crossed her arms and grumbled "Couldn't we have done this indoors?"

Minerva laughed, before realising that the wind was continuing to pick up. Hearing a shout and spotting a pointed finger shooting upwards, she craned her neck to look into the clouds. Sure enough, she could see something in the sky that was continuously getting closer.

"Surely they can't have come all this way on broomsticks?" Poppy thought aloud.

Ro shrugged. "People have done it," she said, though as the distance decreased Minerva could see that looked more like an airborne carriage being pulled by something. "Are those thestrals?"

"They can't be, I can see them," Minerva shook her head, wondering not for the first time what thestrals actually looked like. Although she would never be ignorant enough to wish she could see them like Ro and Poppy could, knowing the circumstances required for someone to be able to see them, but she couldn't deny being curious.

The carriage landed on the lawn with a tremendous bump, making Minerva grateful that she wasn't one of the people inside. It wasn't the same sort of carriage as the ones that were used to bring the students from Hogsmeade Station to Hogwarts each year, instead it had several windows and looked large enough to live in. A set of golden stairs unfolded from the door, and down them walked a tall woman who carried herself with every grace of a ballerina. She reminded Minerva of Professor Merrythought a little in that she looked younger than she probably was, for her faint laughter lines did nothing to increase her age. A chocolate-brown bob framed her round face, and she was wearing robes of a deep pearly blue.

Professor Dippet broke away from the Hogwarts crowd to greet the woman, kissing her lightly on each cheek. "Madame Marguerite, how was your journey?"

"Most pleasant, thank you," Madame Marguerite said with a broad smile, her accent undeniably French.

As the two Head spoke, Minerva watched as twenty or so girls and boys emerged tentatively from the enormous carriage. They all looked to be either Minerva's age or older, though their willowy statures meant they could easily pass as younger. Their robes were a few shades lighter than Madame Marguerite, and from the way they were shivering Minerva could tell that they weren't especially weatherproof.

An explosion of water from the Black Lake jolted everyone's attention, and Minerva turned around just in time to see the top of a mast emerging from the murky surface. After a couple of seconds, where the lone figure in the crow's nest took a look around through a telescope and gave a shout, the rest of a mighty warship slowly followed it out of the water. Once the ship's rocking had settled and the waves splashing onto the lake shore calmed down, the plank was lowered and the crew started to disembark.

The leader of the group was a man in a fur hat and black trench coat, and an almost comically large moustache. That was all that was amusing about him though, as his black eyes conveyed a stony expression, and his brisk, businesslike walk was the opposite of how Madame Marguerite had made her entrance. The girls and boys that followed him were all wearing fur-lined red cloaks, but the fur collars did nothing to mask their thick builds and large shoulders.

Once he had reached the other two Heads, the leader of the Durmstrang group gave a thin smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Professor Dippet, Madame Marguerite," he said with a dip of his head to each of them.

"Professor Rykov, I hope you are well." Madame Marguerite said, still beaming in the face of Professor Rykov's beady eyed expression.

"Now that we are all here, let's all get back into the castle and warm ourselves up again." Professor Dippet urged. Professor Rykov and Madame Marguerite lead their students into the Entrance Hall first, after which the Heads of House ushered the Hogwarts students behind them.

The Great Hall was dressed in all the glory of a Start of Term feast, with the House banners hung from the ceiling and the table dressed with golden tablecloths and cutlery. There was a fifth table alongside the usual House tables, which Minerva presumed was for the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students to sit at. The extra students made the Hall seem so much more crowded, so Minerva was glad when she found that Larry had saved her, Ro, and Poppy seats along with the rest of the Quidditch team.

Once all the students were seated, the doors to the Great Hall were opened and the Hogwarts staff filed down the central aisle, all wearing the full attire that would typically only be seen at the Sorting Ceremony and the last Dinner before the end of the year. All the Heads of House were wearing their House's colours; Professor Dumbledore in his starry red robes and signature conical hat, Professor Merrythought in the deep royal blue dress and cloak that Minerva knew Ro had been coveting since she first saw it, Professor Beery in a yellowish-brown checkered tailcoat, and Professor Slughorn bringing up the rear in his silk green robes. Next came Professor Dippet, Madame Marguerite, and Professor Rykov, followed by a man and woman that Minerva didn't recognise.

Professor Dippet took his place behind the lectern while everyone else sat down, waiting for quiet to fall before he began to speak. "Students and staff of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, may I welcome you all here tonight for the commencement of the Triwizard Tournament. Before we begin the proceedings, let me first introduce to you all the two guests that may be unfamiliar to some of you. With us tonight are two people who have played a crucial part in making this Tournament possible, and they will rejoin us to make up the judging panel with myself, Professor Rykov, and Madame Marguerite when the Tournament gets truly underway. Mr Ernestus Rabnott is Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Madame Theodosia Crickerley, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

These names meant very little to Minerva, but Ro suddenly started shaking her arm. "He's Tavin's boss, I was sure I recognised him. And Theodosia Crickerley, she's who that signed poster over my bed is of! She was Captain of the Holyhead Harpies 10 years ago when dad took me to my first match and she's played for England too a few years back!" On a second glance, Minerva could recognise the similarities between the smiling golden-haired witch sat beside Madame Marguerite and the one above Ro's bed.

"Now that the introductions are over, if you please Mr Filch," Professor Dippet continued, motioning to Filch who seemed to appear out of nowhere by the staff table. "As I'm sure everyone knows, each school will be represented by a single champion who will be tested in both magical prowess and personal skills in three tasks. Points will be awarded by the judging panel for each task, and the champion with the highest score after the third task will win the Triwizard Cup. These champions will be chosen not by the individual Headmasters, but by the Goblet of Fire."

While Professor Dippet was speaking, Filch had placed an ancient looking wooden casket on the stool that usually held the Sorting Hat. Professor Dippet opened the casket with a tap of his wand and removed a large wooden cup, filled with dancing silvery-blue fire that reminded Minerva of bluebell flames.

"Anyone who wishes to submit themselves for champion of their school should write their name and school clearly on a slip of parchment, and place it into the Goblet of Fire. You have 24 hours until the Halloween Feast this time tomorrow, where the Goblet will select the competitors most worthy of representing their schools." Professor Dippet explained, before his voice gained a more serious tone. "I should warn you all now, that if you are selected by the Goblet of Fire then there will be no turning back. You will stand alone in these three tasks, so be prepared for what you are signing up for when submitting your name." There was a heavy pause, then the Professor smiled. "On that note, I will not keep you hungry any longer. Tuck in!"

Food appeared on the tables, a mixture of the usual cuisine and several foreign dishes that Minerva had never seen. Before she could investigate though, there was a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see Ro's gaze fixed intently on her. "We still doing this?" she asked. "No turning back?"

Green eyes met yellow for a minute, then Minerva exhaled deeply as she nodded. "No turning back."

* * *

 _Author's Note_  
 _Hopefully the insane length of this will make up for how long I made you wait xD It's the third longest chapter in the entire story so far, coming in just behind chapters 30 and 39._

 _And the Triwizard Tournament storyline is fully kicked off, with the introduction of most of this year's new important characters. Both Leon Rykov and Adele Marguerite are inventions of my own, and it was fun thinking up character traits for the two Heads of the schools. Ernestus Rabnott was very very briefly mentioned in a past chapter, but for this year his role will be slightly bigger. And Theodosia Crickerley, who I've decided was Ro's childhood sporting hero, will also be an important one this year though and will make a few appearances afterwards too. If anyone was wondering about her name, yes I've been listening to too much Hamilton xD The two Champions will be introduced next chapter, I love them both and hope you all do just as much, and I'm sure it's not hard to guess that the Hogwarts Champion will be an already well known character._

 _But despite that, I don't want the first events in this chapter to get overlooked. I've been thinking for a while that Millicent might be feeling inadequate compared to the likes of her friends, and I thought this would be a good way of working that in. She's the person who is a perfectly good student, though has the misfortune of having especially talented friends which results in feeling not good enough in comparison to them. I always love Millicent-centric chapters since I feel I can sometimes overlook her in favour of either the main three or the twins, so it's good to get her back in the spotlight._

 _We're heading towards exam season now, so I can't promise when the next update will be. But I'm on Easter Break at the moment which does give me a bit of extra free time, so who knows :)_


	43. The Chosen One

_October 1946_

* * *

Saturday mornings were usually reserved for long lie-ins and late breakfasts, but this particular Saturday found practically the entire castle awake early and milling excitedly around the Entrance Hall. Ro could see the Goblet of Fire in the centre of the Entrance Hall as she, Minerva and Poppy came down the Grand Staircase, but the tempting smells of food coming from the Great Hall were enough to drag her away from the Cup long enough to eat breakfast. The extra table was still in the Hall where all the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students were sat, making Ro wonder if once boundaries between the three schools relaxed then the seating plan would too. It certainly had with the House tables; Irma, Septima, and Millicent were far from the only students to switch tables at informal meals. Just from where Ro was sitting then she could see a large group of Gryffindors at the Hufflepuff table and a couple of brave Ravenclaws perched on the end of the Slytherin table.

"I guess we'll be eating French food until July now," Septima said as she sat down, looking at the two croissants Ro had on her plate. Her attention switched to the bowls of grey looking porridge that sat untouched in the middle of the table. "And that must be whatever the Durmstrang lot have for breakfast."

"Maybe that's why they all look so grey," Millicent suggested, to everyone's laughter.

Ro had to agree with her; although they seemed generally interested in the surroundings, most of the Durmstrang students were in clothes of similar shades of brown, and even their haircuts were fairly uniform for the boys and girls. "Could be, though this looks nice," she said, pointing her knife at what looked like fried dumplings.

Poppy huffed slightly, poking her own croissant viciously with her own knife. "I'm beginning to think I won't like French food very much, judging by Minerva's reaction last night."

Minerva groaned as Millicent, Irma and Septima all turned to look at her. "Let's not bring that up. We all know I have a delicate stomach," she muttered. "The soup was nice at the time."

"Oh yeah, that was really rich," Millicent nodded, "Emily wasn't well either, we'll probably take a while to get used to it. Still, I won't complain about the croissants."

Spilling out crumbs down her front from a large mouthful of pasty, Ro mumbled "They're really good."

"Perhaps try to keep it in your mouth then?" Minerva suggested with a wry smile, taking a hesitant bite of her own as Poppy watched her intently.

Ro hastily swallowed another mouthful before replying. "I'm trying to be quick! I want to see who puts their name down, and you're all taking ages!"

"We've only just got here," Septima argued playfully, making a point of eating her cereal painfully slowly. Ro resisted the temptation to elbow her and knock her spoonful of muesli all over the table.

Once Ro was finally able to get them all into the Entrance Hall, it was clear to see that they weren't the only ones watching for who would submit their name from Hogwarts. A great cheer sounded just before they walked through the doorway, so Ro pushed through the crowd for the first person she recognised to find out what she'd missed.

That first person turned out to be Nancy Campbell, who was excitedly waving about a piece of toast as she talked. "Philip Ackerley," she said before Ro even had the chance to ask, pointing to where the Ravenclaw's Quidditch Captain was stood by the Goblet wearing a broad smile. "And-and I think Peggy's going for it!"

Sure enough, Peggy Gilbert appeared behind him and dropped a slip of parchment into the Goblet, causing the flames to change from silvery blue to a purplish red colour for a brief second. There was another wave of applause; Peggy grinned in an embarrassed sort of way before backing into the crowd.

"Have you seen anyone else put their names in?" Minerva asked, appearing beside Ro with Poppy and the others not far behind her.

Nancy nodded. "Alexia Yaxley- that girl from the Slytherin Quidditch Team? I bet she'd be good at it too, she's in my DADA class and no-one can out-duel her. Orion Black was prancing around saying he's already got eternal glory from his family heritage, the pompous git." There was an all-round groan, before Nancy continued with an uncharacteristically nervous smile. "And I put mine in first thing before breakfast. Don't tell Anthea though or she'll lose her mind with worry."

"Good on you," Ro grinned back, nudging her in the arm.

"I think Anthea will be in good company," Minerva said after nodding her congratulations, giving Poppy a pointed though not unfriendly look. "Ro and I are going to try for it, and Poppy's not impressed."

Laughing, Nancy clapped Ro back on the shoulder while giving Poppy a sympathetic glance. "That makes three of us from the Team then! I don't know about the boys, I reckon I could convince Ernest and Cleatus to give it a go but Larry's put his foot down."

"I certainly have," sounded a voice before Larry joined them through the crowd. "You won't catch me doing that. Please don't tell me Nancy hasn't tried to rope you into it too?"

"She didn't need to, Min and I have had it decided since September!" Ro laughed, slinging an arm around Minerva's waist as they both grinned at Larry.

Larry looked exasperatedly between them, his gaze lingering on Minerva for a split second longer. "Well I'm siding with Poppy and Anthea on this one. I value my head, you know."

There was a sudden hushing of the crowd, and Ro stood on tiptoes in an attempt to see what was happening over people's heads. "Here comes Durmstrang," Minerva reported, taking full advantage of her greater height. Ro was able to see them when they reached the Goblet, lining up neatly and submitting their pieces of parchment one by one. Judging by their neutral expressions they were all fairly unbothered by the hoards of Hogwarts students watching them, with the exception of a ginger-haired girl who looked around with the beginnings of a daring smile before following the rest of her school.

"The Beauxbatons lot all put their names in earlier, so it's just Hogwarts students left to go." Nancy reported once the quiet murmurs had started up again following Durmstrang's exit.

Ro nudged Minerva's elbow to catch her attention before speaking in a low voice. "When are we putting our names in?"

"I wouldn't do it just yet, or it'll be around the entire school before midday." Irma said cautiously, and Ro could see she had a point. "The rumour mill is already running wild. Apparently Owle Bullock put his name in first thing this morning but I've heard nothing to confirm or deny."

Covering her mouth with her hand as she hurriedly chewed a mouthful of toast, Nancy nodded. "Grim, that's gone cold. I saw him making a quick exit when I came down to do mine. I'd have thought he'd do it now, he seems like the kind of bloke to want everyone to know."

"Maybe so, but if he doesn't get in he wouldn't want anyone to know someone else was chosen over him." Minerva pointed out.

Irma shook her head. "I doubt he's got enough brain matter to come up with that. It must have been Malfoy's suggestion."

"I think the crowd will die down as it gets later in the day, no-one'll want to stay in and watch from now until the feast this evening. Just don't leave it too late and not get a chance," Poppy warned.

"I thought you'd be begging us to forget," Ro said teasingly, giving her a poke in the shoulder.

Poppy rolled her eyes. "Maybe so, but I'll never hear the end of it if you do so I may as well keep reminding you. If I thought there was any point in protesting I'd have done it back in September."

Larry chuckled slightly as Minerva wrapped an arm around Poppy's shoulder, eliciting the tiniest of smiles from the otherwise thoroughly unimpressed girl. "They've been really careful with safety checks, both my father and Mr Rabnott have made sure everything was age and skill appropriate for students. Apparently it was harder to curb Theodosia Crickerley's enthusiasm-"

"Sounds like someone we know," Millicent butted in, and Ro let out a mock-offended gasp when she realised all eyes were on her.

Larry grinned before continuing. "But anyway, what I mean is that everything's going to be as safe as possible. You needn't worry too much about them, they've made sure that nothing like in past tournaments can happen again."

Poppy huffed but stayed silent, still looking unconvinced.

An unexpected day of good weather meant that they were able to sit outside in the grounds, watching groups of Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students wandering about with curious expressions. Ro almost wished they had gone to either of the other schools for the tournament rather than holding it at Hogwarts; she would have loved to see how the other wizarding schools looked and were run, so could only imagine how the foreign students were feeling while looking around.

By the time lunch came around, Ro and Minerva decided that their time had come. No-one ate much at lunchtime, conscious to save themselves for the Halloween feast that evening, so they didn't spend long in the Great Hall before heading up to Gryffindor Tower. Ro used her favourite quill to write down her full name on a bit of free parchment she had cut off from the bottom of her potions essay, then waited for Minerva to be ready before they all headed back down the Grand Staircase.

Poppy had been right about the crowd dispersing; all that remained of the morning's chaos were numerous first years watching every movement with owlish eyes and a few other pre-OWL students. It appeared that they weren't the only ones who had thought of waiting until later. Joseph Prewett was just putting his name in as the Gryffindor first years clapped excitedly, and after he left he was followed by Sophie Sommerby of Hufflepuff. Alfred Diggory and William Tonks approached the Goblet together, dropped their names in at the same time and high-fived each other before leaving with a few other Hufflepuffs in their year.

The path between Minerva and Ro and the Goblet was now clear, so Ro grabbed Minerva's hand with her own as they walked up to it. Exchanging one last nervous glance, they reached up in unison and added their slips of parchment to the Goblet.

There was another spate of enthusiastic clapping, and Ro looked over to see Robert McGonagall pointing excitedly at them while saying "That's my sister!" to Carlin Anderson and Isaac Wood. Ro bowed deeply at them and Minerva did a shy curtsey before rejoining Poppy, Irma, Septima and Millicent.

The atmosphere of excitement in the castle felt like it had reached an all time high by the evening's feast, when the Hogwarts, Dumstrang and Beauxbaton students piled back into the Great Hall for yet another enormous dinner. Eating didn't seem to be particularly high on anyone's priority list though; Poppy was drumming her fingers on the table while Minerva prodded her potatoes round in circles on her plate, leaving a trail of gravy behind them. By the time Professor Dippet got to his feet, Ro was sure Nancy must have given herself whiplash from the number of times she had snuck a glance in the direction of the staff table. Madame Marguerite and Professor Rykov were looking tense as he approached the Goblet of Fire, which had been placed where the golden lectern usually stood.

"Twenty-four hours have passed since we were last sat here, and I expect the Goblet of Fire will be reaching its decision shortly." Professor Dippet began, silencing the chatter that had begun to break out. "In these last few moments of waiting, I will take the opportunity to wish good fortune to all those who have submitted their names today. When the Champions' names are announced, may the three students selected make their way up beyond the staff table to the door behind where Mr Rabnott is sat. There you will be given your first instruct- ah, here we go!"

The flames of the Goblet had turned red again, as they had done each time a name was submitted. A charred piece of parchment was lifted out by a tongue of maroon fire, which Professor Dippet caught and studied. There had been an awed gasp when the parchment was emitted, but now there was only silence.

"The champion for Durmstrang," Professor Dippet read out, "will be Svetlana Tolstoy."

A loud wave of applause swept the Hall, everyone looking towards the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton's table to see who the name belonged to. The redheaded girl who Ro had picked out earlier rose from the bench, grinning in response to the cheers from her fellow students before squaring her shoulders as she walked up towards the staff table. Professor Rykov gave a single nod in Svetlana's direction as she passed him, then disappeared through the door that Madame Crickerley held open.

The Hall felt quiet once more as the second slip of parchment was shot out of the Goblet. Professor Dippet looked scrutinisingly at it for a second, then he cleared his throat and said "The champion for Beauxbatons will be Reynaud Lemay."

Another round of applause sounded, and Ro craned her neck towards the Beauxbaton's side of the additional table. The person to stand was a tall and slender boy with a mop of dark hair and a nervous but determined expression. Madame Marguerite regarded her champion much more warmly, though Ro didn't think her rosy face was capable of doing anything other than smiling. Ro had to restrain a laugh at the disappointed looking students as Reynaud left for the staff table, a couple of whom who had even started crying.

"Promise me you two won't do that when my name gets picked?" Nancy whispered across the table, causing both Minerva and Ro to giggle quietly. "Seriously though, good luck. Fingers crossed it's a Gryffindor!"

It was as if the entire room was holding its breath as the Goblet's flames turned red once again, bringing out the slip of parchment containing the Hogwarts champion's name. Ro's heart was beating so hard she was convinced everyone could hear it.

"The champion for Hogwarts," said Professor Dippet, then paused slightly as he swept his gaze across the Hall. Ro thought it stopped at the Gryffindor Table for a split second before he continued "is Minerva McGonagall."

The whole of the Gryffindor Table was on its feet, cheering wildly and all looking with beaming grins in Minerva's direction. Minerva herself had gone wide-eyed as she looked almost blankly at Ro. "What?"

"It's you! Get up there!" Ro practically screamed, almost shoving Minerva's back in an effort to get her up. Suddenly seeing to collect herself, Minerva's face broke out into a smile as she clambered up from the bench and walked towards the staff table. Professors Dumbledore and Merrythought were both smiling as she passed them, the twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eye evident even from the distance.

It was quite some time before Professor Dippet could be heard again, and his polite claps for silence had no effect. "Well then, we now have our three champions. I hope the rest of you, including those from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, will give your champions every ounce of support you can. While only one student from each school will be competing in this tournament, the rest of us can contribute just as importantly outside the ring. Now, you are all free to return to your quarters and the champions will rejoin you shortly, I suspect there will be a great deal of celebrations taking place in the castle tonight."

"Too right there will!" Nancy declared as everyone started getting out of their seats. "No-one's going to want any more food, so let's get the Tower party-ready before Minerva gets back!"

In a surprisingly short space of time, Gryffindor Tower was looking just as bright and festive as it did for their Quidditch parties. Having never seen the preparation for a post-victory celebration due to always getting changed with the rest of her Team, Ro was amazed to see the speed at which everything was organised. The Wireless had been turned up to full volume and a massive banner hung above the staircase, though Anthea had charmed it to read 'Minerva for Champion' rather than the usual 'Lions for the Cup'.

The only person who looked less than happy was Poppy. Ro had been roped into the decorating effort by Nancy and Maggie, charged with flying up on her Rocket to secure Anthea's banner to the ceiling with a sticking charm, so it was a few minutes before she had a chance to check up on her. She found her sat on the bottom step of the girl's staircase, and to Ro's surprise and gratitude Larry was sat on the floor beside her.

"Hey," Ro said quietly, causing both of them to look up at her.

"Hi," Larry replied. Poppy said nothing.

Sighing slightly, Ro sat down on Poppy's other side and placed a hand on her knee. "Talk to me?" she prompted gently.

"I'm scared for her," Poppy almost whispered. "I didn't think she'd get picked, not over the seventh years. What if something happens to her? They said there's a death toll, Ro. This isn't all fun and games anymore." Her gaze darted to the floor, but not before Ro saw blue eyes shining with tears.

Glancing briefly at Ro, Larry started to speak uncertainly. Ro could tell that he shared her misgivings, but was doing his best to put them aside for the moment. "The fact that she was picked shows that she's better than the seventh years; the Goblet chooses the most suitable Champion. If anyone can handle this then Minerva can."

"I know, I know," Poppy nodded, her voice cracking slightly.

"And you heard what Larry said this morning, they'll be safe as houses." Ro added, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Think of it this way- it can't be worse than facing the Slytherins at Quidditch."

Her remark had the desired reaction, with Poppy smiling and laughing softly. "That doesn't reassure me much."

Ro shrugged one shoulder. "Probably not."

The sound of the Fat Lady's voice from beyond the portrait hole caused the whole of the House to turn expectantly in that direction. "She'll need our support if she's going to do this." Ro pointed out, knowing Minerva would be appearing any second.

"And she'll have it," Poppy said with newfound resolve, taking a deep breath before standing. Ro gave Larry a grateful nod before following her towards the portrait hole.

Minerva's arrival began a party that lasted well into the evening, though not quite long enough for Professor Dumbledore to make an appearance as he had done after winning the Quidditch Cup a few months ago. At long last Ro finally managed to rescue Minerva from hoards of excited Gryffindors, dragging her and Poppy into their dormitory. "Go on then, give us the details!" she grinned to Minerva, unable to contain her own curiosity.

"I'm assuming you want to know everything?" Minerva asked with a raised eyebrow, though continued before Ro had the chance to speak. "The first task is in three week's time, but that's all we're being told until the morning."

Ro huffed. "Boring. So what're the other Champions like?"

Minerva considered for a second, untying the red and gold banner that Nancy had tied around her neck like a cloak. "Svetlana reminds me of a cross between you and Irma, if that's possible. From what I've gathered she's quiet but incredibly fearless. Reynaud's a bit more like you, Poppy, he's nervous but quietly brave and chatters a lot."

"Are you saying I'm a blabbermouth?" Poppy asked teasingly, clearly trying her best to be pleased for her friend.

"I said you were brave too so don't complain." Minerva retorted playfully. Her smile faltered slightly when she turned to look at Ro, bringing a quizzical frown to Ro's face. "Are- are you ok that I've been chosen instead of you? I know how much you wanted this."

Ro's eyes widened a second before she laughed, shaking her head. "Of course not you fruitcake! If I had to lose the title to anyone I'd want it to be you."

The relief evident on Minerva's face was almost enough to make Ro laugh again. "Thank goodness for that. I was worried you'd be disappointed."

"Eh," Ro shrugged. "It means I've got the job of getting you ready for the tasks instead- we might not be playing Quidditch properly this year but I'm still your Captain so don't expect the training to let up!"

True to her word, Ro was up early the next morning devising a training programme that would have Minerva match-fit by the end of November. With no clue as to what the first task would involve she decided to include a bit of everything, and the Quidditch Team were only too happy to join in themselves during their bi-weekly practise sessions. Minerva had also been practising her Animagi Transformation to the point where she could switch from human to cat and back in the space of a few short seconds. Several of the Professors had unintentionally helped out with the magical side of Minerva's training; Defence lessons consisted of learning a wide range of more obscure spells that they had never tried before, and Professors Aurelius and Dumbledore followed along the same lines in Charms and Transfiguration. The only less than helpful teacher was Professor Olwen who had picked a bad time to look at omens of bad luck during Minerva and Poppy's Divination lessons, doing nothing to ease Poppy's persistent nerves.

The days seemed to fly by before the first task was suddenly upon them. They were still clueless about what Minerva would be up against, but they had been training hard enough that if Ro were in Minerva's shoes she would have felt ready for anything.

Lessons were on as normal until luchtime, and the atmosphere in the Great Hall reminded Ro of the breakfasts before Quidditch Matches. Minerva was dressed in her Quidditch uniform on Ro's suggestion, though her usual crimson cloak had been substituted for a black one bearing her surname and the Hogwarts crest rather than the Gryffindor one.

Poppy was having no luck trying to convince Minerva to eat something when Professor Dumbledore approached them. "Miss McGonagall, I've been asked to come and bring you down to the grounds. The first task is almost upon us and the champions need some time to prepare before we begin."

"Good luck Minerva," Irma said solemnly, and Septima and Millicent both nodded.

Ro patted Minerva on the shoulder as she stood up. "You've got this Min. We'll come and find you when it's over." Minerva gave them a last nervous smile before following Professor Dumbledore, leaving the table feeling much quieter without her.

It felt like an age before the plates cleared and Professor Merrythought lead the Hogwarts students out of the castle towards the Forbidden Forest, where a makeshift stadium much like the Quidditch Pitch had been erected. But instead of grass, the circular area within the Stands was covered in harsh looking rocks with a steep wall all around them. Professor Dippet, Madame Marguerite, Professor Rykov and Mr Rabnott were already sat at what looked to be a judges' table, leading Ro to assume that Madame Crickerley was giving the champions their instructions.

"So, any ideas yet as to what this is?" Millicent asked, wrapping her scarf tight around her neck.

Ro didn't get time to even shrug, for seconds later the air was filled with a furious roar. It wasn't quite as high-pitched and nightmarish as the so-called 'Slytherin's Monster' had been, but the sound was enough to send a shiver up her spine.

Poppy, on the other hand, had turned a pallid shade of white. "Dragons," she breathed out, "they're fighting dragons."

Slightly concerned she was about to pass out on the spot, Ro put an arm around Poppy's waist to keep her on her feet. "Ah, she's going to be fine," she said casually, though in reality she was starting to feel nervous. This would be no Quidditch match.

"Wizards and witches, welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!" cried a magically projected voice, courtesy of the newly arrived Madame Crickerley. "This task has been designed to test the daring and bravery of our Champions, and as a result they have found out what they are up against only in these last few minutes. Our first champion will be entering the ring shortly, but first-" she turned towards where there was a large archway in the wall below the stands and the volume of her voice increased to a bellow "-bring in the dragon!"

From under the archway emerged possibly the ugliest lizard that Ro had ever seen. It was a massive hulking beast, dark green and heavily muscled with three golden horns protruding from its face. About a dozen people accompanied the dragon, but at a nod from Madame Crickerley they released the chains around its neck and left the stadium back under the archway. "The champions will be tasked with getting past their dragons and rescuing a golden egg from within their clutched." Madame Crickerley continued, and Ro noticed for the first time a nest of eggs in the centre of the stadium. "Now without further ado, we have Mr Lemay of Beauxbatons Academy against the Romanian Longhorn!"

The crowd cheered wildly, and Ro wasn't sure if she was glad or not that Minerva wasn't going first. Reynaud entered the stadium through a smaller archway, looking incredibly small against the massive beast. There was a moment where both were still, sizing each other up, before Reynaud flicked his wand and shot a number of sparks into the air towards the dragon. If his aim had been to distract it then it worked; the Longhorn looked away, and in a split second Reynaud twirled his wand around his head. A white light shone briefly before he disappeared from view.

"A Disillusionment Charm, very inventive!" said Madame Crickerley, clearly commentating for the Tournament like Maggie Jordan did for inter-house Quidditch. With Reynaud effectively invisible, trying to pinpoint where he was by the scraping of shoe on rock or a breathy gasp was a guessing game for both audience and dragon. Movement of the golden egg caught everyone's eye, and with a deafening roar the dragon swung its horned head around madly. Ro didn't need to see Reynaud to know it had struck its target; the egg was flung away and hit the ground with a metallic clunk, and there was a low howl of pain from Reynaud. His progress was easy to track from spots of blood appearing on the rocks, scooping up the egg and making a quick exit back towards the archway.

There was a great cheer as the seemingly floating egg left the stadium. "An unlucky strike for Mr Lemay- that injury's going to need looking at- but an impressively quick time and some good spellwork! Judges may we have our scores!"

The five judges gave their scores as the Longhorn was subdued and removed from the arena, replaced by a tiny dragon with coppery scales. Ro could tell instantly that it would be fast, with its long legs and eagerly snapping jaw. "Let's hope this is Minerva's," said Irma quietly, and Poppy gave a hurried nod.

"Next up we have Miss Tolstoy from Durmstrang Institute against the Peruvian Vipertooth!"

"No such luck," Ro added under her breath as Svetlana made her appearance. Her stance held none of Reynaud's obvious nerves, standing tall and fearless as she faced down the Vipertooth. She brandished her wand and gave a shout, three blue jets shooting out and causing the rocks behind the eggs to explode into nothing. The dragon squealed and bolted away, leaving the path open between Svetlana and her golden egg.

"Taking advantage of the Vipertooth's flighty nature with some well placed Reductor Curses leave Miss Tolstoy an opening to make her move," Madame Crickerley's voice rang out over the crowd as Svetlana ran at full pelt, scrabbling over the rocks in her way. There was an almighty cheer as she seized the egg and turned back the way she had come, but as with Reynaud the battle wasn't over yet. She had crossed about half the distance between the eggs and the exit when the Vipertooth was suddenly gaining on her fast. With a stockier frame as opposed to Minerva and Reynaud's lankiness, Svetlana clearly wasn't built for running and attempting to outrun the Vipertooth was hopeless. The dragon's jaws closed around her lower leg and brought her crashing to the ground, but she managed to keep a hold of both her egg and wand. She shot a jet of flame towards the dragon's eyes, surprising it and allowing her to drag herself away before she clambered to her feet and ran unsteadily out of the stadium.

There had been a universal gasp as Svetlana was floored, but it turned into raucous applause when she made her exit. "Some excellent spellwork and quick thinking from Miss Tolstoy, but another serious injury that will unfortunately require points to be docked. Let's hope our final champion can escape unscathed!" called Madame Crickerley before the judges' scores were revealed.

"Yes, lets hope," Poppy muttered. At some point during Svetlana's match she had grabbed hold of Ro's hand and was squeezing it so hard Ro was positive she would be left with fingerprint-shaped bruises.

The next dragon to be brought in wasn't as big as the Longhorn Reynaud had been pitted against, but it was large enough to give Ro a fresh wave of nerves. With its steel grey scales it would have almost blended into the rocks if it weren't for the purple eyes and underbelly, though Ro's gaze was mostly fixed on the claw-tipped wings and spiked tail.

"Our final champion of the day: Miss McGonagall of Hogwarts School against the Hebridean Black!"

Minerva entered the stadium to the excited cheering of the Hogwarts Students. Ro didn't think she looked nervous, but there was something about watching one of her best friends facing unavoidable danger while she couldn't do anything to help that made her stomach tie itself into knots.

It quickly became clear that this match wasn't going to be quite the same as the previous two. Minerva had no chance to make a first move before the dragon was already bearing down upon her, aggression in every line of its body, and Minerva dived out of the way just in time to avoid being taken out by the spiked tail. The dragon continued trying relentlessly to get her, forcing Minerva to duck and dive over the uneven terrain to escape the spikes and claws.

Her chance came when she hid behind a large rock and the dragon's tail got stuck in the stone, letting out a breath of purple fire as it tried desperately to free itself. While it was distracted Minerva darted out from behind the rock, transforming into a cat and running straight between its legs and towards the eggs.

The reaction from the crowd was a mixture of renewed excitement and general confusion. "What's this we have here- an Animagus? It'll be interesting to see how the judges react to this!" Madame Crickerley cried, sounding thoroughly impressed.

Ro, on the other hand, was paying no heed to what the judges might think. "Run!" she yelled at Minerva, who was little more than a black blur heading towards the eggs. With her cat hearing there was a chance she might hear her over the din of the audience.

Upon arriving at the eggs Minerva transformed back into her human self; a silly decision, Ro thought, before it occurred to her that there was no way she'd be able to carry the egg as a cat. She scooped it under an arm before making her way cautiously towards the exit of the stadium, where the dragon was still struggling with its tail jammed in the rock. Her wand was drawn as she circled wide around it, poised and ready for the moment its tail became free.

Or so Ro assumed. With a mighty roar the Hebridean pulled its tail free of the rock and lunged for Minerva with a clawed foot. Poppy screamed as it caught her across the shoulder and sent her sprawling to the ground with two massive tears in the back of her Quidditch uniform already pooling with blood. She narrowly avoided a second blow by rolling out of the dragon's reach, throwing the golden egg towards the archway to give herself the freedom to use her Animagus form again. But even with her practise she wasn't quite quick enough and she was kicked squarely in the side seconds after assuming her feline form, careening through the air to land with a skid on her feet. By some miracle she had been flung towards where her egg lay, so after transforming back again she picked the egg back up and was gone under the archway.

"A narrow escape, that's all I can say!" shouted Madame Crickerley over the cheers and applause that resonated from the crowd as soon as Minerva had cleared the arena.

Ro didn't pay attention to the rest of the commentary because a violent tug on her scarf forced her to look into Poppy's face. "Can we go and see her?" Poppy hissed, her tone suggesting she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

They managed to find the champion's tent without a problem, Poppy dragging Ro by the hand and Irma, Septima, and Millicent rushing behind them. The other two champions had already been seen to; Reynaud was sporting a freshly healed weal that stretched from his collarbone to beneath his robes, and Svetlana's bitten leg was heavily bandaged and propped up on a wooden stool. Minerva was sat hunched over on a stool with her elbows resting on her knees with her cloak and jumper removed so she was just in trousers and a blood-soaked vest top.

Irma pulled up another stool to sit next to Minerva, placing a gentle hand on her knee when her presence wasn't acknowledged. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently, to which Minerva nodded.

"Hold still," Madame Quinine ordered, carefully lifting up the vest top to reveal two long wounds gushing with blood and a foot-shaped bruise already blooming on the side of Minerva's ribcage.

"Bloody hell," said Ro before she could stop herself.

Knowing that she would be more of a help than a hindrance, she stayed back while Poppy piled bruise paste onto Minerva's ribs and Madame Quinine cleaned and healed the wounds. "You're all healed but you've lost a lot of blood so sit quietly while I fetch you a blood replenishing potion." Madame Quinine said, observing Minerva's back with a frown. "Miss Pomfrey, make sure she doesn't go off anywhere."

Poppy gave a nod as the Matron left them alone, then used her wand to siphon the blood from Minerva's vest. Ro could tell from the shaking of her hands that it was purely to distract her. "You did well out there," she said after a long pause, her voice tight.

Minerva nodded again, clearly exhausted from her ordeal. "Thanks," she muttered, lifting her head to smile weakly around at them all. Gesturing vaguely behind her she continued "How'd the others do?"

"Well they all got hurt, but probably not as badly as you." Ro said, seeing no point in hiding the negatives. "Reynaud used a Disillusionment Charm that worked a treat, and Svetlana the Reductor Curse and lots of running. You caused the most surprise, though I'm not sure what the judges'll think of it."

Letting out a hollow laugh, Minerva shook her head slightly. "I don't really care if I come last right now. That was more than I thought I'd signed up to."

"You and me both," Poppy snapped, finally losing her temper. "If you hadn't transformed in time then Merlin knows what might have happened! I'm telling you, if this continues for the rest of the year then I'm going to be grey-haired by the ripe old age of 16!"

Ro couldn't help but grin as she took Poppy's wand out of her hands, causing her to yelp in protest. "Your life would be dull if you didn't have us to fuss over," Ro pointed out, giving her a knowing look.

Poppy let out a great sigh as she finally let Ro pull her into a hug. "If you say so," she muttered with a reluctant smile, and for the first time that day there was carefree laughter among them.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _This chapter is 1,400 words longer than the previous longest chapter. Let's let that sink in for a moment._

 _Being real, I could have easily split the chapter into two halves and they'd still be reasonably sized installments. I do have reasons for not wanting to, the main ones being that I wanted this all from Ro's POV and I don't want to exceed my 10-chapters-per-year limit. Plus, I doubt there'll be another update for at least a month, most likely two, so this bumper update should keep you all happy until then. And one more thing: I updated twice in the space of one month! Miracles can happen xD_

 _So we have Minerva as Hogwarts Champion! I kind of hinted at that when I mentioned my inspiration for including a Tournament in ch 41 so it should come as no surprise. Poppy's reaction couldn't have been anything else in my mind, and I loved that little scene where she, Ro and Larry talked it out. It's probably not too spoilery to say that this year is when Larry really comes into his own- for a random background OC I invented back in first year he's become a very dear and important character. We briefly meet Svetlana and Reynaud in this chapter but they'll be developed more very quickly since I'm very fond of them as characters and I hope you all will be too._

 _I couldn't think of anything original to use for the first task, so we get an altered version of the canon event. It was fun to write though._

 _I doubt I'll be back with another update until after the exam period, so I wish good luck to everyone who needs it! Until next time :)_


	44. One Small Step

_November 1946_

* * *

What with a third of the Triwizard Tournament safely out of the way, Poppy could sense a few things had changed around the school. The formerly unavoidable feeling of excitement and anticipation had faded a little; for the first time since the selection of Champions at Halloween, the atmosphere in the castle felt somewhat normal. Of course there was no forgetting that the Tournament was taking place, what with seeing Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students in every corridor, but it was nice to regain some normality every now and then.

Oddly enough for Poppy though, she'd somehow managed to get more involved in the tournament. Professor Dumbledore had approached her following the first task and asked her to take over Minerva's Prefect duties while she recovered from her injuries, and that temporary commitment had quickly been extended for the rest of the year. What with the Tournament and the upcoming OWL exams both on Minerva's mind, Poppy had decided it was only fair to give her one less thing to think about and Minerva had quickly agreed. So that she could learn the ropes, she and Poppy did the Prefecting rounds together every evening the fifth years were on duty so that Minerva could point out the preferred hiding spots of sneaky students and the punishments doled out to them.

It took until a couple of days after the task for Minerva to be up for that though. While Madame Quinine had done the best job possible of healing the wounds on her back they had still scarred, leaving two slightly indented red lines that ran from her left shoulder blade down to near her hips. The Matron had given Poppy a salve to reduce scarring with the reassurance that the red would fade to white in the coming months, as the scarring on Professor Merrythought's wrist had done following her run in with Slytherin's Monster. The sheer amount of blood she'd lost had taken its toll too; Minerva had bled more than some of the patients she'd treated in the Room of Requirement following the battle, which could have proven dangerous in itself had Madame Quinine not had a blood-replenishing potion ready and waiting. Aside from that, the physical ache from running from and fighting a dragon had left Minerva even more reluctant to leave her bed than Ro usually was on a Saturday morning.

It was on the third night that Poppy and Minerva prefected together that the second thing she'd noticed following the first task became incredibly clear. Their path around the castle took them down to the Entrance Hall while the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students were leaving to go to their accommodation, and the sight of Minerva elicited a few waves and nods from students of both schools. Not only that, but to Poppy's utter surprise Svetlana Tolstoy, the Champion for Durmstrang herself, left her friends in favour of rushing over to greet Minerva.

"Minerva, how are you feeling?" Svetlana asked, straightening the fur hat that hid her beacon of red hair. Her voice sounded harsh with its over-pronounced consonants, the v in Minerva's name seeming to take up most of the word.

Minerva returned the genuine smile with one of her own. "A little better by now, the wounds don't hurt anymore. How's your leg?"

Shrugging, Svetlana looked down at her leg which looked to be still bandaged by the shape of her trousers. Poppy had noticed her limping as she approached them so wasn't surprised it was still in need of treatment. "Nasty venom needs lots of potions. And am not surprised, zhere vas a lot of blood zhere. Your matron, she is very good. Your friend vas too."

Poppy felt her face flushing scarlet when she realised Svetlana meant her; she'd spotted Robbie McGonagall and Anja Hooch hiding behind a suit of armour and had been more focused on wondering if she should send them back upstairs than the conversation. "Thank you," she said, trying not to stammer as she accepted Svetlana's firm hand shake. "I'm Poppy, it's nice to meet you."

"Likevise," Svetlana nodded, her rosy-cheeked smile indicating she had no idea she was practically ripping Poppy's arm off. She was almost grateful when the Durmstrang student turned back to Minerva and continued in the same impressed tone of voice "Zhey tell me you are- um-" she paused for a moment, muttering under her breath in what sounded like her own language, before her eyes lit up. "Animagus!" she said, clicking her gloved fingers. "Yes, zhat very impressive. No Animagus in Durmstrang. Professor Rykov say is 'vaste of skill'."

Minerva's nose wrinkled a little at the last comment, though it didn't wipe the delighted look in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm the only one in Hogwarts, we don't usually learn it but I asked to specially. It took a long time to learn."

"You show me?" Svetlana asked, though unlike some of the many times Minerva had been asked that since the Task, her tone was only curious.

Poppy gave a wordless nod when Minerva held out her wand for her to hold, then she took a couple of steps backwards. She was so practised at the manoeuvre by now that Poppy only saw her eyes close and her brow furrow a second before she transformed, but even that was only because she knew her so well and had been there through the entire process. Minerva blinked up at Svetlana for a few moments, twitching her whiskers in clear amusement at her surprised gasp. She turned around on the spot twice, showing the scars that still crossed her back even as a cat though harder to see through the fur, before transitioning back to her human self.

Svetlana was speechless for a moment, though her mouth was upturned in an awe-inspired smile. "I's like Aleksy said, you are very good," she said, before adding as an afterthought "Aleksy is my brother. I have sister too, Margisia. Both younger. Very excited about Tournament."

"I've got two younger brothers; Malcolm and Robbie," Minerva said, and Poppy glanced back towards the statue to see if Robbie and Anja were still hiding there. "They still can't believe I'm Champion."

Svetlana tutted as she shook her head. "Vith skill like yours? No surprise. Maybe zhey can be friends vhile ve are here?"

Minerva never got a chance to reply before a shout echoed across the now practically empty Entrance Hall. Poppy didn't recognise any of the words but Svetlana clearly did as she glanced towards the voice before looking apologetically back at her and Minerva. "I must go, but I vill see you soon." With a parting grin she was off, pulling her hat tight around her ears as she ran towards the door that Filch shut behind her.

There was a moment of peaceful silence as they resumed their walk, starting up the Grand Staircase as they finished with their duties for the night. Poppy had never been in the corridors so late in the evening, and as they neared the first floor she closed her eyes briefly to truly appreciate the comforting quiet of the castle. That turned out not to be one of her best ideas when she missed the trick step; Minerva grabbed her under the arms to stop her from sinking too far down, and between Poppy clinging to the banister and Minerva's efforts she was quickly back on solid ground.

"You know, if you're going to be a Prefect you might want to make sure you know your way around a little better than that!" Minerva teased her lightly, before wincing a little as she straightened out her shoulders.

Poppy was instantly concerned, her hand on Minerva's side as she sucked in a slow breath. "I didn't think it was still bothering you!" she said disapprovingly, feeling Minerva's ribcage on the injured side to check for anything out of place.

Minerva shook her head though still looked a little unsettled. "It wasn't, I think lifting you might have pulled the muscles again. Don't apologise though," she added as Poppy opened her mouth to do just that, "it had to be done."

"Well, regardless of that you're going back to bed. I won't have you running around the castle with a bad back." Poppy settled for instead, Minerva taking her arm for support as they continued back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Have you noticed that there's not so much of a divide between us and them since the task?" Minerva said after a minute or so, continuing after Poppy gave her a look through narrowed eyes. "I mean Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and don't look at me like that!"

Poppy hummed her agreement, though rolled her eyes at Minerva's obvious attempt to change the subject. "It's like the House boundaries during the War, I suppose it's brought everyone together a bit more."

Minerva nodded. "It doesn't feel like our castle is overrun with strangers anymore- oh, I should give you this. Hebridian." The last word was for the Fat Lady, who swung forward as Minerva unpinned her Prefect Badge from the collar of her robe and offered it to Poppy.

"Are you sure? Technically you're still prefect," she asked, not taking the badge.

"Yes, but you're running around doing all the dirty work." They both giggled at that, stepping into the Common Room and immediately feeling the warmth of the fire in contrast to the chill in the rest of the castle. "This will give you the authority you need, I don't trust some of the Slytherins not to push their luck with you."

Poppy nodded, a sudden apprehension spiking in her chest at the thought of confronting Abraxas and his cronies. "You're probably right," she sighed, reaching out to take the badge though tilting her head in confusion when Minerva suddenly snatched her hand back.

Her noise of confusion was lost against Minerva's mischievous grin. "Now, Poppy, with great... badges, come great responsibility!"

Poppy sighed with exasperation though she couldn't keep the smile from her face. "Oh give it here," she said, rolling her eyes again at Minerva's laugh as she handed it over. "Now come on, Ro will be wondering what's become of us."

Even though Poppy resolutely kept an eye on Minerva's injuries until she was satisfied they were fully healed, she wasn't too worried about Minerva resting up as quickly as possible. Everyone had been under the impression that they'd seen the last of the Tournament until the late February when the second task had been set, so they were all in for a surprise when Professor Merrythought spoke to them at the end of their Defence lesson the following week.

"Settle down, all of you, there's a couple of minutes left before you can be dismissed," Professor Merrythought said as they sat back down after a duelling session, hitting her wrist against the desk she leant on. "You may not be aware that the Triwizard Tournament doesn't just consist of the three tasks. Another traditional part of the Tournament is the Yule Ball which will be taking place on Christmas Day- Miss Dale, Miss Stretton, I asked for quiet!"

Bonnie Dale and Emily Stretton had immediately started gossiping at the mention of a ball, but fell silent at Professor Merrythought's rebuke.

The Professor continued after a moment. "As I was saying, the ball will be held in the Great Hall and will begin at 8pm Christmas Day, to finish at midnight. Fourth years and above who are staying over the holiday will be able to attend, as will any younger students invited to attend as partners to older students. It is a dance, a partnered dance, so all those who wish to participate will need to find a partner to dance with."

The giggling from the back of the room had started up again, where the rest of the Ravenclaw girls aside from Millicent and Septima were sat. This time though, it took merely a sharp look from Professor Merrythought for them to quieten down. As she glanced across the classroom, Poppy could see several of the boys looking distinctly worried at the prospect of dancing with someone.

"While this is a chance for us to all have some fun," Professor Merrythought continued, her smirk indicating she intended to do just that, "it is a formal event, meaning you will all be wearing dress robes, and we still expect you to uphold the values and reputation of the school. Ravenclaws, I will be making sure that you are behaving as expected, and Gryffindors I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will say the same to you. Now then," she wiped the chalkboard clean with a swish of her wand, "you may all go to lunch. Miss McGonagall, can I hold onto you for just a second?"

"I'll meet you in the Great Hall," Minerva murmured to Poppy as she stood from her desk, leaving Poppy, Ro, Millicent, and Septima to make their way downstairs. Irma was waiting for them just outside the Hall, having got there first since she'd only come from the greenhouses, and they quickly found their usual seats on the Gryffindor table.

Before anyone had the chance to ask, Irma had already started with "Professor Beery told us about the Yule Ball. I imagine practically the entire school will be staying over Christmas this year."

Ro sighed, using her wand to levitate a still steaming jacket potato onto her plate. "There goes our peaceful Christmas then," she said, and Poppy nodded. She had got used to having the castle practically to themselves over the holidays so it would be a shock to have nearly everyone still there.

"It'll be good fun though," Millicent argued, looking by far the most excited out of all of them. "There was a leaver's ball at my Muggle school at the end of year, it was the last time I saw a lot of my old friends before I came to Hogwarts. We all had a great time. Did you have anything like that Poppy?"

Hastily swallowing her mouthful, Poppy gave a reluctant nod before answering. "We did, but I never ended up going. I was evacuated at the time, living with a Church minister and his wife. The ball was meant to be the day after my birthday, but when Professor Dumbledore told them I was a witch they refused to have me in their house. He Apparated me back to London and explaining everything to my parents; I think the Ministry were called in to Obliviate them."

Looking around the table, she was met by four unhappy expressions, ranging from Millicent's shock to Ro's fury. "How could they throw you out like that?" she spat, taking out her anger on her jacket potato which left it looking a little dented. "Just because you're a witch!"

"Well the Wizarding world itself isn't much better. Just look at what happened to our mother because she married a Muggleborn," Irma pointed out dryly, looking at Ro with a raised eyebrow.

Still looking far from pacified, Ro gave her potato a final stab with her fork. "Doesn't make it right though," she huffed, and Septima nodded firmly.

After a moment's prickly silence, footsteps behind them made Poppy turn to see Minerva sliding into the empty seat at her side. Clearly sensing the tense atmosphere though not commenting directly, she reached across the table and gave Ro's potato a light prod as she asked "Were you intending on using this as lunch or a punchbag?" The wry question had them all laughing again, much to Poppy's relief.

"Getting back on topic," Septima said to get the conversation rolling again, "any ideas who you want to go to the Yule Ball with?"

"Not for me personally, but..." Ro trailed off there, giving Poppy a significant look before her eyes flickered in Minerva's direction. Poppy hid her giggle behind her sleeve, knowing exactly what Ro was referring to when her mind filled with memories of Larry Spencer-Moon embracing Minerva so warmly after the summer holiday, the awe-inspired way he watched her at Quidditch, and the terror that had been written on his face during the first task.

Minerva's head was tilted in a confused frown, glancing between Poppy and Ro as she asked "What?"

"Nothing!" Ro said quickly in a sing-song voice, setting them all off laughing.

Minerva simply rolled her eyes, shaking her head with an exasperated smile. "Well, whoever you seem to have in mind for me needs to not be too self-conscious. Professor Merrythought told me that as Hogwarts Champion I'll be opening the ball along with Svetlana and Reynaud."

"So we all get to laugh at you first before we make fools of ourselves," Irma pointed out, returning Minerva's sigh with a slight smile.

"I'll have you know I'm not that bad a dancer," Minerva retorted lightly, reaching around Poppy to nudge Irma's shoulder. "Back in Caithness there was a cèilidh every New Year and I was surprisingly good at it."

There was a moment's confused silence, informing Poppy that it wasn't just her who had no idea what she meant. "A who-now?" Millicent asked, voicing everyone's question.

"A cèilidh. Kay-lee," Minerva repeated, stressing the syllables. "It's a traditional Scottish dance you do in partners within a group, there's a lot of spinning each other around and switching partners. Malcolm and Robbie hated it but I always thought it was good fun."

Millicent was nodding in recognition, though Poppy had still never heard of it. "Oh, so like country dancing? We did that all the time at school."

"Irma and I were more ballet dancers when we were younger. Mother's insistence," Septima said, grinning in the face of Irma's dark look.

"Oh please tell me there's a photo of that," Ro laughed, and Poppy had to agree when she tried to imagine the twins in tutus. Irma clearly didn't for her glare had been transferred from Septima to Ro, though she too shrugged it off easily as she continued. "I just wasn't a dancer, much clumsier on land than in the air."

"Maybe you were a bird in a past life?" Poppy suggested, thinking of the way she could twist and turn so elegantly on her broom but had a bad habit of tripping and walking into things while grounded.

Ro gave a brief laugh before shrugging her shoulders. "Well I've got the eyes for it," she said, meeting Poppy's gaze with the sharp yellow eyes which had been a shock at first sight. But nowadays she hardly noticed them; they were as much a part of who Ro was as the nick in her ear and the crooked nose she'd accumulated over the years.

"Well then, bird Ro, you've got three weeks to find your land legs and a dance partner before the big night!" Minerva chuckled, though it quickly turned into full-blown laughter from the whole table at Ro's dramatic groan.

No sooner had those three weeks begun did everything start happening very quickly. The decorating of the castle started a great deal earlier than it did usually, though the customary twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were still a staple part of the renovations. When Professor Dumbledore came around Gryffindor Tower with the list of who was staying for Christmas, Poppy was shocked yet not too surprised to see that practically the entire House had written their names down. Though they'd already guessed it, there was now proof on paper that the Tower was going to be very busy over the holiday.

What seemed to cause the biggest stir in the castle though was the matter of choosing a date for the ball. The corridors felt twice as crowded as usual whenever Poppy was moving around the castle with groups of excited girls pointing at boys as they passed, and groups of arrogant boys doing the same to passing girls. On multiple occasions lessons had to be delayed due to people arriving late, to the increasing irritation of the Professors and the few remaining students not overcome with excitement.

Despite her occasional annoyance at the antics of most students, Poppy would have been lying if she'd said she wasn't looking forward to the ball. She had never been to any sort of party or formal event before so had nothing to look back on when trying to think what it would be like, meaning all she could imagine was some sort of Cinderella-style ball like she'd seen on silent films as a bedridden child. Upon hearing about the Ball through Poppy's letters home, her mother had owled her the dress they'd picked out for her school leaver's ball over four years ago, and all it had taken was a quick Engorgement Charm to accommodate for how much taller she'd got over that time for it to fit again. With her dress, a pair of shoes her mother had also sent, and some flowers she'd picked and frozen to add a certain touch, she was ready for the ball with plenty of time to spare.

The only thing that wasn't so simple to get was a partner, though to Poppy's absolute surprise it turned out to be a lot easier than she'd anticipated. She'd been approaching the Fat Lady's portrait with Lyall Lupin at the end of their Prefecting shift when he'd suddenly started looking a little nervous, wringing his hands as he bounced on the balls of his feet. Poppy had been about to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly blurted out without taking a breath: "Wouldyougototheballwithme?"

Although she'd almost giggled at the panicked terror on Lyall's face, she couldn't say anything other than a resounding yes. She'd always got on well with the gentle, studious boy in their year, and if she'd had to pick a boy to dance with then she would have almost certainly picked him.

As it turned out at the breakfast table the next morning it was debatable whether or not she had been the first of their group to be asked to the ball, since both Septima and Millicent had also found partners the previous night. Septima was going with Ravenclaw's new Quidditch Captain Philip Ackerley, and Millicent had been asked by Irvin Reid. She'd admitted while excitedly buttering her toast that she thought Irvin had only asked her because his best friend was going with her best friend, but she was too thrilled about having a dance partner to care.

To all of their ever-growing surprise, it took until the last Hogsmeade Trip before the end of term before Minerva found her partner. The Three Broomsticks inn felt even busier than it usually did on Hogsmeade days since it was full Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students as well as the usual Hogwarts crowd; the Beauxbaton students were all clamouring for hot drinks as huddled together like penguins while the Durmstrang students appeared to be handling the cold weather a lot better.

Having already given up on finding a table for six, Poppy, Minerva, and Irma were merely saving an area of floor space while Ro, Millicent, and Septima braved the sea of people in the name of Butterbeer. While Minerva and Irma were laughing wryly as they recounted what had happened on this Hogsmeade Trip the previous year Poppy had spaced out almost entirely, preferring not to remember one of the many terrifying moments that had plagued the last couple of years. Instead, she had taken to watching the group of sixth-year Gryffindors who all appeared to be gearing up Larry for something she couldn't work out. It was only when he downed the remainder of his Butterbeer and headed in their direction did Poppy's heart rate suddenly soar.

With Minerva deep in conversation with Irma it was a minute or so before she noticed him, and Poppy wasn't sure if the redness spread across his face was due to the Butterbeer or sheer embarrassment. "Er, Minerva? Could I, um, talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course," Minerva said with the surprisingly warm smile that was reserved only for her closest friends. Poppy found herself clinging to Irma's arm as they watched Larry and Minerva draw a few feet away from them, talking in voices too quiet to hear over the din of the pub.

"Where'd Min go?" Ro's sudden voice just behind her almost made Poppy jump and she quickly interrupted her with a loud hushing sound while pointing towards Larry and Minerva. "What- d'you mean?" she asked a lot quieter, and when could only nod in reply she gave a very un-Ro-like squeal of muted excitement.

As the remaining five of them watched as quietly as they could manage, Larry's cheeks flushed progressively redder until he finally said what was obviously a hesitantly asked question. Minerva's face lit up and she gave a delighted nod, seconds before Larry's face broke out into an unrestrained grin and their arms were around each other's shoulders in a brief but tight hug.

Minerva had barely made it back to them when Ro demanded "Well?", her expectant expression mirrored on everyone else's faces. Poppy was surprised she hadn't dropped the two tankards of Butterbeer she was still carrying.

"He asked me to the ball!" Minerva said, still beaming with barely concealed excitement.

"Finally, it took him long enough!" Millicent groaned teasingly, though she too was practically bouncing with excitement and running precariously close to losing most of her Butterbeer.

Minerva arched an eyebrow as she looked round at the five of them, and Poppy could tell from just her amused yet fond smile that they must have looked absolutely comical in their excitement. "What? You think it was that obvious?"

The laughter that resulted from Minerva's question was followed by a long sigh from Ro, who handed Poppy her Butterbeer before placing her hands on Minerva's shoulders to look at her squarely. "Min. You're hilarious, you're as stupidly brave as I am, and sometimes you're so clever it actually scares me. But sometimes you just cannot see what's staring you right in the face."

* * *

 _Author's Note:  
Well for what's essentially a filler chapter, it's freaking long._

 _It's so good to be writing this again. Even though it's technically been so long I wrote the entire thing in three sittings all within the last week, I don't know why I didn't start earlier because I've loved it._

 _It's possibly an odd thing to say since Poppy's one of the three POV chapters, but it felt really nice to actually focus on her for a change then just use her as a window to everyone else? I don't feel like I've really really focused on her for a long time. It was nice to re-find the dynamic between her and Minerva; I feel like very often Minerva ends up with Irma and Ro and Poppy end up together so it was good to fall back into that. Also I_ _love Svetlana a lot, and I hope when we meet Reynaud in the next chapter you'll love him just as much._

 _Speaking of the next chapter, I am so excited. I've been looking forward to this for almost two years, no word of a lie. I've known since nearly the beginning what all their dress robes would look like and I worked out the partners a long time ago too. It was so good to write Larry actually doing something about his hopeless crush on Minerva- it's what the chapter title is in reference to. I love them so much together and I can't wait to write their ongoing relationship. Usually when reading a fanfic having a canon character x OC pairing is an instant turnoff for me so I hope I've written Larry well enough that I've made their relationship work and not just another mary-sue pairing. They mean a lot to me and I love the support they've recieved so far._

 _On a slightly more somber note, I bring the news that I'm no longer going to university this year. Shit hit the fan at home and I ended up not getting the grades I needed. But next year is another year, and in the meantime it does give me more time to write fanfic. So you can think of it as a bonus in that aspect. Until next time :)_


	45. A Winter's Night

_December 1946_

* * *

If it weren't for the fact that robes had been exchanged for casual clothes, it would have been practically impossible to tell that term had actually ended the Monday after the Hogsmeade Trip. Minerva was convinced that Gryffindor Tower had actually shrunk, despite a lot of the younger students not staying and nobody from the other houses boarding in the Tower over the holiday, since everything seemed just that bit livelier than usual. Of course Christmas was always the cause of much excitement, but with the anticipation of the Yule Ball added to that and then magnified by the sheer number of people still at school, the whole castle felt busier than ever.

Although Minerva already had her partner, a thought that made her grin whenever it crossed her mind, the subject of who was going with who was still a major conversation point. Some pairings had been as obvious as Minerva and Larry themselves had reportedly been; such as Abraxas Malfoy with Druella Rosier who was frequently seen hanging from his elbow, and Nancy and Ernest much to the despair of a very jealous Shirley Miller. By the time Christmas Eve came around Irma had been left without a partner, but that didn't seem to either surprise or bother her that much.

"It makes sense really. I hardly talk to anyone except all of you, and the only two Slytherin boys who tolerate me already have partners," Irma insisted to a still protesting Septima, though thanks to Septima's heavy knit scarf muffling most of the words she didn't really need much volume to override her. Despite the heavy snowfall they were actually out on the grounds, sat huddled up in their thickest clothes on the snow-free patch of grass below the Astronomy Tower. Minerva was still cold beneath her high collared coat and thick tartan scarf, but the chilled air made a nice contrast from the stuffiness in the Tower and it was helping keep Ro's cabin fever at bay.

Septima pulled down her scarf before arguing back, but the irritation in her voice wasn't directed at Irma. "That's half the point! What possessed Alphard Black to pick Eileen Pince over you?"

Ever the peace-keeper, Millicent placed a gentle hand on Septima when she crossed her arms in evident frustration. "He probably had no other choice. About not going with Irma I mean; you're both considered 'disgraces to the family', or something equally stupid." She rolled her eyes at that, and both the twins gave their own signs of exasperation. "If Alphard was seen dancing with Irma then either Orion or Cygnus would report it back to the family, provided the Daily Prophet didn't get there first."

"In that case he'd probably go the same way as our mother did, disowned and blasted off the family tapestry," Irma said with her eyebrows raised, the dramatic emphasis in her voice suggesting she was trying to make light of it.

"You actually have a family tapestry?" Ro asked, looking up from where she was drawing Quidditch-related diagrams in the snow with the tip of her wand. Even with the absence of the usual Quidditch Tournament she was hard at work formulating strategies for the weekend of fun matches they'd been promised in January.

Irma nodded. "I've never seen it though, and doubt I will. From what Walburga once described to me it features the faintest hint of our names with a massive scorch mark through the lot." The faintest hint of bitterness had crept into both her tone and expression, but she gave another slight nod at Minerva's concerned glance.

Deciding the conversation was straying into dangerous territory, Minerva spoke before anyone else could continue. "From what I've heard, Hubert Thatcham is going with Sylvia Macmillan." Irma hummed in agreement, her frown softening as soon as the topic of her family ties was dropped.

"Is there really no-one else who you could go with?" Poppy asked, concern evident in her wide eyes despite her regular shivering. She'd insisted Irma take her duffel coat since she always seemed to be short on winter clothing, claiming that she was used to the cold from living in the dungeons. Minerva suspected it might be more to do with negligent parenting. To compensate for giving her coat away, Poppy was wearing a turtleneck and at least two sweaters on top along with one of Ro's many wooly hats and the coat she'd worn in their first two years at Hogwarts, but she was still trembling from her position under Minerva's arm. Considering the coat was too small to do up properly and it was adorned with several poorly-mended holes from their fanged Puffskein problem that wasn't much of a surprise.

"I'd rather go by myself than with someone I don't know," Irma said with a shake of her head. "I did think Neil Lament was going to ask me since all the girls in sixth year turned him down- most likely because he's a halfblood. That tends to matter when you're a Slytherin."

Minerva hummed in agreement, knowing from Malcom's friend Imogen Farley that life wasn't easy in the dungeons for anyone not pureblood. Now that she thought about it, she could count on one hand the number of non-pureblood Slytherins she knew; Neil, Imogen, Hubert, his brother Noah in Robbie's year, and Irma herself. In another attempt to steer the conversation after hearing Irma's slight bitter tone return, she added "For a Quidditch Captain he isn't particularly popular. Potentially because he lost all his matches last year."

Ro had snorted with laugher at Minerva's snide comment, but suddenly seemed to quieten down. "He actually asked me yesterday when I went down to the broom shed. He seems like a decent sort so I said yes."

"I'm surprised no-one on the Quidditch team asked you. You are their Captain after all," Poppy pointed out.

Focusing on Poppy for the first time rather than her snowy diagrams, Ro shrugged. "Well it's no surprise that Nancy and Ernest are going together, and Maggie said yes when Cleatus asked her. Larry going with Min only leaves Anthea, and I'm pretty sure she was asked by Benji Bones."

Minerva nodded to confirm her last statement. She knew from accidentally overhearing them as an Animagus that Anthea been going out with Head Boy Benjamin since the end of the previous year, but since it wasn't her secret to tell Minerva hadn't mentioned anything.

"Well then, we've got-" Millicent paused to glance at her wristwatch, "-27 hours until the ball starts, but in the meantime I vote we go and get some dinner?"

Poppy wriggled out from under Minerva's arm and stood quickly, brushing off the few flakes of snow that had gathered in her lap as she declared "Yes, before we catch our deaths out here!"

"Crikey, it's really that time already?" Ro asked. Septima checked her own clock which hung around her neck and nodded with a surprised expression, before breaking into a grin as Ro's stomach rumbled loudly.

"That's all the confirmation we need," Minerva said as they all laughed and clambered to their feet.

Waking up the next morning in Gryffindor Tower felt odd, since it was the first time they'd spend Christmas morning in their dormitory without at least Irma boarding with them. But it wasn't long before that was remedied; once they were dressed they took their presents down the stairs into the Common Room where Irma, Septima, and Millicent all joined them within a few minutes. The highlight of the morning for everyone was when Minerva opened her present from Malcolm and Robbie to find a selection of cat toys, which had most of the Quidditch Team roaring with laughter along with her friends. The rest of the house had just regarded them with mild curiosity and confusion, which faded quickly when no-one gave them an explanation. The truth of her Animagus training had obviously been let out during the first task, but as there had been no official acknowledgement it just felt more like a poorly kept secret.

With no usual Christmas lunch due to the feast that was part of the Yule Ball, with the exception of a small lunch to keep them going they had most of the day to themselves. This was spent almost entirely outside, with everyone suitably warm since Poppy had been sent a new wool coat with a massively oversized hood for Christmas and had officially given her old one to Irma. The snowman making that started with a group of Gryffindor firsties quickly spread to an inter-house competition when a number of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Slytherins joined in, and before long it was an inter-school event when some Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students got to work on their own creations. Durmstrang's winning masterpiece was hardly surprising considering the school was somewhere in Scandinavia, but it was a pleasant surprise to see them truly enjoying themselves when away from the stern gaze of Professor Rykov. When the sunset finally chased everyone inside Minerva thought it was the perfect atmosphere to start the Yule Ball on.

The focus turned to getting ready for the ball the moment that Minerva, Poppy, and Ro were back in their dormitory. They helped each other with their hair first since Ro had rightly pointed out that with the length of Minerva's hair she'd struggle doing it by herself, and Minerva didn't want to waste time trying to prove her wrong. Poppy was able to pin and curl Minerva's hair up into an elegant bun after only two attempts, all the while trying not to laugh too much at Ro struggling to put her scruffy bob up into rollers. It took a short debate to persuade Poppy to wear her hair down for once, and after emerging victorious Minerva just pulled the curls closest to her face back into a loose braid so they wouldn't bother her.

"You chose those flowers accurately," Minerva commented as she pinned the frosted poppies Poppy had collected into the braid, still trying not to look in Ro's direction for too long in case it made her hands shake with laughter.

Poppy only hummed in agreement, but Minerva could practically see the smirk through the back of her head.

Happy with their efforts, they left the remaining hair pins scattered on the desk and went back to their own beds to get changed. Minerva's dress was a dark plum-purple in heavy cotton, bunched around the off-shoulder neckline then fitted at the waist before spreading out to fall into vague pleats around her ankles. Apparently it had been impossible to find anything longer that wouldn't be baggy at the torso, and her mother's suede heels only made that more noticeable despite adding less than two inches to her height.

Just as Minerva gave a satisfied nod at her own reflection, Poppy's voice asked from behind "Well? What do you think?" Turning around to meet Poppy's shy smile, it was hard for Minerva to stop her mouth from falling open at the sight of her.

While Poppy had always been daintily pretty, contradicting greatly with her hands-on approach to everything she did, when out of her knitwear with her blonde curls free from the usual low bun she looked nothing short of beautiful. Her dress couldn't have been more perfect; the floor-length skirt was made of layered chiffon, and while the bodice was white the colour progressed with each layer of chiffon into a bright poppy-red.

"Wow Pops, you look incredible," said Ro, flinging back her hangings and jumping off the bed to land by Minerva's side. Minerva nodded earnestly, Ro's words echoing her thoughts exactly, before her attention switched to Ro's outfit. Clearly noticing this, Ro met Minerva's gaze and grimaced slightly as she said "It doesn't really work, does it?"

The outfit didn't look bad by any means, but not even Ro's confident stance could stop it looking a little out of place. Her dress was a lot shorter than either Minerva's or Poppy's, the circle skirt reaching to just below her knees. The black torso was a halterneck style she'd tied in several knots behind her neck and the skirt was golden which, while probably pretty on the hanger, clashed interestingly with Ro's yellow eyes. She had absolutely refused to dance in heels so was wearing a brown leather version of their lace-up school shoes, which only added to the conflict of colours.

"I think it's just that we've never seen you in a dress before," Poppy pointed out, a thoughtful frown on her face. It was very true – other than their school uniform, Ro was never seen not wearing trousers. She often liked to complain that the boys got to wear trousers while she was stuck in a skirt.

Ro shrugged. "I guess so, it feels just as weird. Come on, if we're meeting the Irma, Septima, and Mill before it starts we've got to go."

"Sure you're not forgetting something first?" Minerva asked, unable to conceal her amused smile.

The confusion written across Ro's face was all the answer she needed, so Poppy gently turned her by the shoulders so she was facing the mirror. Catching sight of her still-rollered hair, she burst out laughing and gestured wordlessly for someone to give her a hand. Once her hair was loose and safely secured with a modified sticking charm, they left their wands on their bedside tables and let the dormitory door fall shut behind them.

The common room was an explosion of bright colours and excited chatter. Minerva could feel herself being watched as she stepped carefully down the girls' staircase, but her lack of self-confidence suggested that her dress was made of steel rather than cotton. The timid grin was still on Poppy's face as Lyall came over to greet her at the bottom of the stairs in a Muggle-style brown tweed suit with a gold pocket watch, her eye-catching dress meaning she was getting just as much attention as Minerva was. Ro, on the other hand, showed no sign of doubt in her nonchalant lean against the stair banister despite wearing the oddest outfit Minerva had ever seen someone attend a formal event in.

"Mi-Minerva!" stammered the voice she had been waiting to hear, and she looked over to see Larry rushing over to her in his typical sweet-natured flustered state. He was dressed in a white high-collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a dark red silk waistcoat patterned with swirls, and carried a matching red outer robe over his elbow. His ascot scarf was the same colour as Minerva's dress; she'd shown him a swatch of the material so they could have a little colour-coordination. "I- um- wow- it's incredible- you- ah-"

He broke off when Minerva couldn't restrain her light-hearted giggle, red dusting his cheeks as he self-consciously adjusted his ascot. "I get it. Thank you," she said gently, rolling her eyes at Ro's unsubtle ahhing behind her.

"Come on all you lovebirds, we still need to find the others!" Ro said, taking both Poppy and Minerva by an elbow so she could steer them towards the portrait hole, Larry and Lyall laughing as they hurried on behind.

The Entrance Hall was even more packed than the Common Room had been, despite the efforts of the Heads of Houses to get people into the Great Hall. Minerva quickly spotted Irma waving to her from the mouth of the corridor that lead to the Dungeons, and with her were both Septima and Millicent with their partners. Ro left them to find Neil Lament first while Minerva led Larry, Poppy, and Lyall towards Irma.

"You look amazing," Irma said with a genuine smile that was reflected in her eyes. The concern Minerva had felt about Irma being the only one without a partner melted away at the sight of her looking so comfortable and content.

Her gaze straying to Irma's outfit, she grinned as she replied "So do you, it suits you so well." Her dress was black and quite simple, straight across the chest with thin straps and a bodice that showed off her slim figure, but the center of attention was the beautiful short lace cloak that only reached to her elbows and was fastened with a loose velvet collar around her neck. She'd simply plaited her hair, and was wearing the black heeled lace-up boots she'd brought in Southend over the summer that made her quite noticeably taller than Septima.

Since Philip and Irvin had been approached by a few other boys in sixth year, Septima and Millicent rushed excitedly over to stand beside Irma. "Poppy that dress, it's amazing!" gushed Millicent, her eyes alight.

"So's yours, I haven't seen that dress style in London since I was really young!" Poppy said excitedly, and Minerva agreed with her. Millicent looked like she'd come directly from the 1920s. She was wearing a cream-coloured dress heavily adorned by lace and sequins, short with a low neckline though the frills on the skirt took it down to about knee-length. Her hair was in a very similar style to Ro's though the rollered curls were slightly longer and more organised.

Millicent grinned, shifting on her feet so the frills jumped around. "I don't get why they went out of style, I knew this was the dress as soon as I saw it. And Minerva, you two both look great!"

"We tried to look like we'd thought about it a little bit," Larry said, his words coming easily since he knew Minerva's friends well from all the time they spent in Gryffindor Tower. Minerva was glad; she'd wondered if Larry's presence would affect the usual comfortable dynamic between them all but it seemed she'd worried for no reason.

A shouted greeting to Irma, Septima, and Millicent alerted them to Ro's return, with Neil Lament looking incredibly nervous a few steps behind her. His cheeks reddened as he met Irma's cool expression, as she was clearly the only one of the girls without a partner. After sweeping her gaze around them, Ro started "So, Septima, Larry, are you two going all out with house pride tonight or were the colour choices an accident?"

There was a moment as everyone's eyes switched from Septima's dress to Larry's waistcoat, before they all burst out laughing. Although Larry's waistcoat and robe were too dark to be true 'Gryffindor Red', Septima's floor-length gown was nothing short of 'Ravenclaw Blue'. It looked to be a similar material to Minerva's though the deep blue looked shinier and more pearly, with a strapless bodice secured at the front with a few material buttons. She'd pinned the front sections of her hair at the back of her head in a small bun, clearly sharing Minerva's concern about hair while dancing, but the rest had been curled and left loose.

"Just thought I'd point it out," Ro grinned as she received two exasperated looks. "Love the cloak thing Irma, and those boots look even better than in the shop window" Ro said, toying with the edge of the lace around Irma's shoulders.

"Well I don't like them," Septima grumbled with false irritation, looking up at her twin for possibly the first time ever. The height difference had once been very firmly in Septima's favour, but now it was impossible to tell which of them would end up taller. Minerva had a sickle placed on Septima winning while both Poppy and Ro thought Irma would snatch victory at the last minute, but Millicent reckoned that in all irony they'd end up the exact same height.

They all grinned at the sight of Irma's sly smile and Septima's frown, a role reversal of the twins' usual personalities. "Welcome to my world," Ro said as Minerva rested an elbow on her shoulder, "even Larry's shorter than Minerva, but to be honest who isn't?" That caused another round of laughter when they met each other's gazes and saw her point.

Professor Dumbledore's quiet yet perfectly audible call of "May I have the Champions and their partners over here please?" caught everyone's attention, with Minerva and Larry bidding everyone a quick goodbye before dodging through the still crowded entrance hall. Reynaud and his partner reached the Professor at the same time as they did, Reynaud wearing a navy blue tailcoat with a cream shirt that was ruffled at the collar. His partner, a mousey-haired girl who Minerva assumed was another Beauxbaton student since she didn't recognise her, was in a dusky pink sleeveless dress with the ruffled skirt longer on one side than the other in a pearly material similar to Septima's.

"Bonsoir, Minerve!" Reynaud cried excitedly, kissing her lightly on each cheek in the gesture that had taken Minerva by surprise the first time he had done so. This time though it was Larry who seemed almost alarmed, his hands hovering hesitantly by Minerva's elbow when she stepped back. "Zhis is Ghislaine, my girlfriend, as you would say."

Just like Svetlana's heavy accent gave Minerva's name about three additional 'v's, Reynaud's airier dialect lost the 'a' altogether and Minerva was slowly starting to get used to them both. "Bonsoir Reynaud," she beamed in return, adding "It's good to meet you," to Ghislaine who nodded in response.

"Ah, hello Mr Lemay, Miss Dubois," Professor Dumbledore greeted them, causing Minerva to wonder how he would know Ghislaine's surname. "And here come Miss Tolstoy and Mr Kozlowski."

Minerva glanced in the direction the Professor was looking to see Svetlana practically dragging her partner through the Entrance Hall in her haste to reach them, with Professor Rykov giving her a disapproving look from behind. She was wearing a white shirt with baggy sleeves secured just below the elbow and a black dress over it, but the full calf-length skirt was covered in satin stripes of all different colours. Her thick ginger hair was in two fishtail braids secured by red ribbons, adorned by a flower crown of poinsettias frozen in the same way Poppy had frozen her poppies. Her partner, a broad-shouldered boy of the same age with short brown hair, wore a black tunic decorated in red tassels over the same white shirt and black knee-length boots. The vibrant colours were similar to many of the Durmstrang students, an unexpected change from the plain maroons and greys of their usual uniforms.

Svetlana smiled widely at both Reynaud and Minerva when she arrived, but Professor Dumbledore continued before she had a chance to speak. "Now you're all here and nearly everyone else is seated in the Great Hall, if you could line up in your pairs we'll make our way in. Miss McGonagall, Mr Spencer-Moon, as Hogwarts Champion and partner you two should lead the way. You'll all be seated at the staff table for the meal."

Although she'd have preferred to eat with her friends, Minerva wouldn't turn down the opportunity to get to know Svetlana and Reynaud better. She took Larry's elbow as they stood side by side in front of the doors to the Great Hall, returning his nervous smile as Professor Dumbledore opened the doors with a swish of his wand and lead them up through the Hall.

While the Christmas decorations in the Great Hall looked beautiful every year, the staff had outdone themselves for the Yule Ball. The walls had been charmed to look like frosted glass, with snow-dusted garlands crossing the starry ceiling, and the torches had been dimmed to give the Hall a warm atmosphere. Instead of the usual House tables the Hall was filled with smaller circular tables, with a path down the centre of the Hall that led to the staff table. As Professor Dumbledore led the Champions down the aisle Minerva caught sight of Ro and the others sat around a table with their partners, grinning brightly as she smiled in their direction.

Professor Dippet was sat in his usual seat at the centre of the staff table, with Madame Marguerite and Professor Rykov on one side of him and Mr Rabnott and Madame Crickerley on the other. With the exception of those five places there were chairs on both sides of the table in order to fit everyone on, the rest of the staff filling up the rest of the seats except six that had been left free for the Champions. Minerva took a seat next to Professor Merrythought with Larry sitting opposite her, the Ravenclaw head regarding them both with a bright smile as they sat down.

"You look wonderful Minerva, every inch the Hogwarts Champion," Professor Merrythought said warmly. Her dress was her usual royal blue colour, made of velvet with a low cut front and a wide satin ribbon around her waist. The long lace sleeves worked well to hide the scarring that marred her handless arm below the elbow, something Minerva supposed she would be more conscious of considering the event. After pausing to request her plate for food, everyone following in Professor Dippet's wake, she added "As do you of course, Larry. You two make quite the couple, the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion and the son of the Minister for Magic!"

Minerva laughed at the realisation that she was right, but to her surprise Larry turned bright red and started suddenly choking on his first mouthful of potato. Svetlana gave him hardly a second before pounding her fist between his shoulderblades until he waved frantically for her to stop. "Thanks -um - you've got a strong thump-" he stammered to Svetlana before continuing to Professor Merrythought in an equally flustered tone "-and we're not a couple-I mean I don't think- if Minerva wanted-um-"

Professor Merrythought only left Larry stumbling for words for a few more seconds more before coming to his rescue. "Oh I didn't mean anything like that," she assured him, though her smile came close enough to a smirk to suggest otherwise.

To distract from the warmth Minerva could feel creeping up her cheeks at the thought of what Larry had been stuttering out, she looked at Svetlana instead and said "Thank you for not letting him choke. And your outfit is beautiful."

"Vell, couple or not I thought you may like him better vhile alive," Svetlana replied, grinning broadly at both Minerva and Larry's flustered faces. "And zhis is traditional Polish dress. At Durmstrang ve like to be proud of our heritage. You see my friend zhere, Nadezda?" Minerva followed where Svetlana was pointing to see a girl with long dark curls sat at a nearby table, wearing a red patterned waistcoat and a white dress with short sleeves and a long billowing skirt embroidered with red and gold flowers, with a ruffle of white lace around her neck. "She is from Czechoslovakia, zhat is von of their costumes."

Minerva nodded in acknowledgement as she looked around the tables dominated by Durmstrang students, admiring the different dress styles worn by them all. "So there are people from all over Eastern Europe at Durmstrang?" she asked.

Nodding, Svetlana gestured to her partner as she said "Piotr and I both Polish, but students here from all of..." she paused then, asking Piotr a hurried question in Polish

"Kraje komunistyczne?" Piotr repeated, and after Svetlana nodded he turned to Minerva. "Communist area," he said, his voice deep and even more heavily accented than Svetlana's. "After Muggle Var ve have new Headmaster. Is strict Russian, very strong Soviet. Many students leave if not from Communist country. Zhey go to Beauxbaton instead."

Reynaud spoke in a low tone as he added "Zere were so many new student after ze war, ze Palace became so very crowded. But we 'ad people leave from Allemagne, ah, you call eet Germany I zink, students from ze East now go to Durmstrang."

"But ve must not tell you zhese things. Is vorbidden." He glanced warily down the table where Professor Rykov was taking with Professor Dippet and Mr Rabnott; Professor Merrythought was wisely making a point of not acknowledging the Champions' conversation despite being sat right next to them. While Minerva's knowledge of the current affairs in Eastern Europe were limited, she assumed that with Larry's political background and his thoughtful expression she'd be able to ask him later more about what Piotr had glossed over.

When the dinner was over, Professor Dippet requested for everyone to stand before moving all the tables and chairs to the edge of the Hall with a flick of his wand. The staff table was replaced by a piano and set of microphones once the staff and Champions had moved out of the way, the atmosphere changing to a hushed excitement when the door behind the staff table opened and a tall woman with warm brown skin appeared through it. Minerva had heard the rumours that Celestina Warbeck had been booked for the Yule Ball and it was clear they were correct. The applause was mixed with a few uneasy murmurs when her band joined her, but they soon quietened when it was realised that the five young witches were only dressed to look like banshees and weren't the real thing.

Her gaze switched from Celestina to Larry when he gently touched her elbow, his nervous smile making a reappearance as he asked "Are you ready?"

It was time to dance. Minerva tried to give a more assured smile as she nodded for him to lead the way onto the floor, Svetlana and Piotr following them with Reynaud and Ghislaine bringing up the rear. The band's pianist played a few introductory chords as they faced each other, Larry hesitantly placing one hand on her waist and holding Minerva's hand in the other, her breath suddenly catching at the skin contact. The sudden bout of nerves faded a little at catching sight of Ro and Poppy's grinning faces in the background behind Larry, Irma giving her a single encouraging nod which she barely had time to return before the music started.

Thankfully the song was a slow one, since Minerva was convinced she would trip over her own feet if they were going any faster. As Larry was steering she gradually let herself relax and before too long she was actually enjoying herself, and judging by the slightly upturned lips on Larry's 'concentrating face' he was too. The Champions only had the floor to themselves for about a minute before Professor Dippet took Madame Crickerley's hand and led her out onto the floor, clearly signalling that people could join in with their partners. Professor Rykov and Madame Marguerite both looked distinctly uncomfortable as they danced together, taking Minerva's mind back to the conversation at the top table.

Grateful that they were roughly the same height so could talk without it being too obvious, Minerva asked "Do you know anything about what Piotr was saying?"

"I know some but I doubt it's everything," Larry said, able to meet her gaze properly since they were pretty much just revolving on the spot. "My father likes me to keep in the loop. The whole of Muggle Europe was all but divided in two after the War, and that's had quite a big affect on the Wizard population there too. Like Reynaud said, all students from the West attend Beauxbatons and all students from the East attend Durmstrang."

Minerva nodded, the situation starting to make more sense now that she had some background knowledge. "I don't think that happened without conflict; have you seen Professor Rykov and Madame Marguerite?"

Larry shook his head, so Minerva took control briefly to turn them around and let him see the two Heads from where they'd previously been behind him. His restrained snort of laughter was enough to nearly send Minerva into giggles.

When the song ended, Larry took a step away from Minerva to bow as did the rest of the men. Minerva curtseyed in response, trying not to think too hard about how acutely she could feel the absence of his hand on her waist through the cotton bodice. "Did you want to keep going?" he asked when the introduction to the next song started, "it's a little faster."

"I think I can manage, but I'll apologise in advance for stepping on your feet," Minerva said, grinning a little sheepishly as she took his hand again.

The rhythm was even faster than she had expected, and quite a few pairs left the dance floor after the first couple of bars. Professor Dippet had retired back to the staff table and Madame Crickerley was now dancing with Professor Beery, which Minerva thought was a good thing since she doubted the frail Headmaster would have coped with Madame Crickerley's enthusiasm combined with the fast-paced tune. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Merrythought were dancing together nearby, with Professor Merrythought leading so that her wrist was on Professor Dumbledore's shoulder and he could hold her hand. Poppy was grinning like a child at Christmas as Lyall spun her around, blissfully oblivious of Druella and Abraxas sneering at them from across the floor.

Clearly Larry had noticed it too as he muttered quietly "I'll be sorely tempted to stick my foot out next time they go past."

Minerva gave a low hum of agreement before an idea suddenly came to her. "Can you get us closer?" she hissed in Larry's ear, to which he nodded without comment. When they were side by side with the Slytherin pair, Minerva gripped Larry's hand tightly to keep her balanced as she glared at Druella's feet with all the conviction she could muster before whispering the incantation to the Trip Jinx.

It was as if Druella had catapulted by an invisible spring. Abraxas' effort to keep her upright ended with him being dragged along as well, the crowd of people standing at the edge of the dance floor parting as they skidded briefly before landing in an undignified heap. While most of the dancers ignored the interruption, Druella started to make such a fuss that both Professor Slughorn and Madame Quinine abandoned their partners in the middle of the dance floor to tend to her. Professor Bishop and Professor Epsilon looked at each other for a brief second before shrugging and continuing the dance together.

"Very impressive, but not very Championlike," Larry said, his tone full of admiration and exasperation in equal measure.

Minerva raised her eyebrow as she met his gaze and said teasingly"Don't try and say you weren't tempted to do the same."

"Touché," he laughed just as the music came to an end. This time he didn't step back as he asked again if she wanted to continue.

Just as she was about to nod, the sound of familiar shouting caught her attention from across the Hall. "That sounds like Ro, we should see what's going on," she said hurriedly, not letting go of his hand as she lead him off the dance floor.

Irma greeted her with a dark look when they arrived at the table she and the others had been seated at earlier, before her gaze flickered back to where Neil Lament was practically withering at the knees under Ro's ferocious glare. "If you're not going to ask me to dance then what was the point of asking me to this stupid Ball in the first place!" she demanded, the anger in her voice so intense that Minerva thought she would be shaking too in Neil's place.

Neil didn't seem to have an answer to that, beginning to speak a few times before falling silent with a twitchy shrug. "Well then you can bog off and leave me alone!" she shouted, waiting until he was scurrying towards the doors before falling heavily into the chair next to Irma's.

Placing a comforting hand on Ro's shoulder, Irma addressed Minerva and Larry as she asked "Are you two still dancing? I told Poppy, Septima, and Millicent not to sit out on my account."

Minerva shook her head, pulling up a chair to sit in front of them both and motioning for Larry to do the same and complete their makeshift square. "We might go back later but I think a break's in order," she said, Larry agreeing with a laugh. "Besides, we won't leave you alone all night."

Irma gave her a grateful smile. "It's a good place for people watching. I got a perfect view of Druella's little... accident." The pause before 'accident' was punctuated by a raised eyebrow and Minerva couldn't contain her laugh.

Ro suddenly jumped in with a cry of "I knew that had something to do with you!", coming back to life after being slumped in her chair since Neil's hasty exit. Something clearly catching her eye, she looked around Minerva and asked "Have you seen what Marilyn's wearing?"

Minerva pivoted her chair around so she had a better view of the dance floor, quickly finding their Quidditch Instructor who was dancing with another woman Minerva didn't recognise. Rather than wearing a dress, Marilyn was in a white shirt under a satin purple waistcoat and baggy maroon trousers, her hair partly pinned up like Poppy's and a violet pinned to the collar of her shirt.

"You'd have looked brilliant in that," Minerva said, to which Ro nodded enthusiastically.

"Is that Professor Harper dancing with Professor Rykov?" Irma asked, causing Minerva's eyes to roam the dance floor again until she'd spotted them. The Ancient Runes teacher was indeed waltzing with the Durmstrang head at the edge of the dance floor, talking in what didn't appear to be English.

Clearly Larry had picked up on this too as he said "Since Professor Harper's a linguistics teacher she might know other spoken languages too, which could be why he's with her. Still, it looks a little odd. What happened to Madame Marguerite?"

"Dancing with Dumbledore," Ro said, using her hands to lift herself up in her chair for a bit of extra height.

"That sounds like a book title," Larry pointed out, making all four of them burst out laughing again.

Once they'd regained control of themselves, Minerva set about trying to find Professor Merrythought since she'd been partnered with Professor Dumbledore the last time Minerva saw. After a few minutes she spotted her with Mr Rabnott, who looked thoroughly confused as the Professor tried to switch his hands around so he wasn't holding her wrist. The music had started to come to an end before he appeared to understand, by which time she threw her arms up in despair and left him to rejoin Professor Dippet.

Seeing that Ro's smile had started to slip again as she watched partners prepare for the next dance, Minerva leaned over to whisper a quick request in Larry's ear. He looked at her briefly, waiting for a confirming nod, before he stood in front of Ro and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Ro looked up from where she'd rested her chin on her elbows, her mouth slightly agape. She looked past him to Minerva first, then stood up and grinned broadly as she placed her hand in his. "You may," she said, the spark returned to her eyes.

Minerva moved to sit next to Irma so they could both watch Ro and Larry dancing together. "That'll make her evening," Irma said quietly, a fond smile gracing her features.

"Are you sure you're happy not being up there?" Minerva asked in a tone that invited no argument, tugging at Irma's hands so she'd look at her properly.

Irma held her stern green gaze for a moment before saying "Yes. Really. I'm much happier on the sidelines than in the spotlight."

Satisfied enough to let the topic go, Minerva turned her attention back to the dance floor. It was easy to pick out the Quidditch players from the crowd of dancers purely from the confidence with which they moved, showing none of the awkwardness in their body language that some people were clearly struggling with. Ernest and Nancy were getting a few sidelong glances as they ploughed their way around the dance floor, seeming not to notice that they were going a lot faster than everyone else and there were couples moving very hastily out of their way. The Durmstrang girls' costumes looked even more spectacular when they were dancing from a distance, the colours glowing in the light and their skirts spinning upwards to show the layers of petticoat underneath.

"So," Irma started, catching Minerva's attention from where she'd been enthralled watching Svetlana dance. "You and Larry. Now he's made the first move, what are you going to do next?"

Minerva shrugged, stalling for time as she thought. Irma added "Let me rephrase that; what would you want to happen next? Because I somehow don't think you want this to be a one time thing."

"I just like him a lot," Minerva sighed. "He's kind, and clever, and he gets on well with all of you. That's the most important thing, I'd always put you all first."

Irma nodded in acknowledgement. "And that's good to hear."

The corner of her lip lifting slightly, Minerva continued "Professor Merrythought assumed we were together, and between choking on his drink he said something about we could be if I wanted to be. I'm assuming that means it's up to me to take the next step."

Irma nodded again, smiling as she patted Minerva's knee. "Ro was right back in the Three Broomsticks. We can all see how much you've wanted this, and you clearly like each other for who you are. That's the right reason to choose someone."

Minerva looked at her properly then, knowing her choice of words hadn't been accidental. Irma held her gaze unwaveringly despite the shadows dancing behind her eyes, nodding in response to the question Minerva didn't even need to ask verbally anymore.

"Thank you," she said softly, to which Irma smiled. She didn't need to say that aloud either, but she still always did.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _And here we are at last. 7000 words exactly (le gasp) of Yule Ball magic._

 _I feel like this is a milestone for both me and our girls. Because we're currently in fifth year I feel like this is the equivalent of prom for them- Minerva and Ro are actually older at this point than I was at my prom since I'm a July baby and our prom was at the end of June. Since prom felt like such a big milestone for me and all my friends I suppose that's why I feel like this is such a milestone for AYT. You can hardly see the firstie pre-teens from the first chapter in these elegant (ish in Ro's case) young women. I sound like I'm talking about my own children xD_

 _I've actually known exactly what everyone's dresses would look like since not long after I started to write this. Google Images helped me out a little since I typed my ideas in and picked an image I liked to base the final description on, with the exception of Poppy's dress which was completely of my own creation. I loved the idea that the Durmstrang students would wear their national folk dress, since I have a real love for national costumes. I did dance competitions for 5 years and there's a class where we perform a tradition national dance in the correct costume so I've become very accustomed to them. My chosen country was Poland, and Svetlana's outfit is an exact replica of my own beloved costume._

 _It was quite interesting to explore how the affairs in Europe post-WWII might affect the wizarding world, and since we have one school firmly in the East and the other firmly in the West this seemed like the most logical response. I've been studying Russian and Cold War history for 4 years now as part of both my GCSEs and A-Levels so I really love the period, and I couldn't not include a few made up details when I had the opportunity._

 _There are far too many little details I love to point out, so instead of rambling on forever here I'll let you chose your own favourite bits. This is the first chapter where I haven't a) procrastinated on or b) worried about finishing quickly. Since it felt like such a momentous chapter I wanted to take my time and make it as perfect as I possibly could. I've been writing this continuously since about a week after the last chapter was posted, whereas usually I'll go ages without writing and then churn the whole thing out in no time at all. Seriously, I enjoyed writing this chapter from start to finish._

 _Since AYT's second anniversary has passed since I posted the last chapter, I feel like I should mention it at least in passing. I still love writing this fic just as much as I did from the day I started it, despite the much more infrequent updates, but it's the incredible feedback that has made this so rewarding. From the people who have been here from the start to those who have just discovered and binge-read the entire thing (which gets harder with every chapter so serious kudos to you), I thank you all from the bottom of my heart._

 _I'll try and write the next chapter in the same way I did this one, but there's a very high chance I'll end up reverting back to my last-minute-method very quickly! Anyway, I truly hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it, and until next time :)_


	46. Dissolving Boundaries

_December 1946_

* * *

The state of Gryffindor Tower on Boxing Day morning was an interesting one.

The first thing Ro registered upon lifting her head from her pillow – no, it was a sofa cushion, she hadn't made it to the dormitory – was how stiff her scalp felt. She immediately regretted not undoing the sticking charm she'd used to keep her hair in place. Upon propping herself up on her elbows to look at the rest of herself, she saw she only had one shoe on and the gold skirt of her dress was incredibly crumpled as if it had been left abandoned on the floor. Which Ro realised was very accurate when it finally dawned on her that that was exactly where she was.

Around her were similar scenes of devastation, which was a mild reassurance to her sleep-fogged mind. On the nearest sofa were Minerva and Larry, him awake and her still asleep with her head on his chest. Nancy and Ernest were still together too, limbs tangled together and looking incredibly comfortable in each other's company, but they were on the floor in front of the fireplace. Cleatus was in the armchair with his head on his chest, snoring loudly. There was no sign of Poppy, but Ro vaguely remembered her not staying for the Firewhisky so it was likely she was enjoying their dormitory all to herself.

The Firewhisky; now it was all coming back to her. While the official Yule Ball had ended at 11pm, some of the Gryffindor seventh years had snuck into Hogsmeade with a hearty supply of Firewhisky to kick off the Gryffindor's afterparty. Ro had taken on board Poppy's chastising that she wasn't old enough for proper alcohol, unlike Butterbeer, so had only had one, but some of the older students had taken full advantage of their overage status. As a result it was mostly sixth and seventh years that were still in the Common room, but Ro and Minerva had chosen to stay along with the rest of the Quidditch Team. With no clock in the Common Room it had been impossible to know what time they'd fallen asleep, but from the tiredness lingering behind her eyes Ro doubted it had been anything remotely sensible.

"How's your head?" Ro looked up at the voice to see Minerva giving her a tired smile.

After pausing to consider for a moment, Ro nodded. "Fine actually, but I hardly had anything. You?"

Minerva hummed in agreement. "I didn't think it was worth the headache, either from the Firewhisky itself or from Poppy when she heard about it."

"When Poppy heard about what?" asked a new and much more awake voice, seconds before Poppy appeared from around the sofa. She'd actually changed out of her dress robes, a feat that no-one in the Common Room had managed, though her hair was still loose around her shoulders.

"Nothing, actually. They were both surprisingly good," Larry said, trailing off to end in a yawn.

Poppy rolled her eyes, moving around to give Ro a scrutinising look which didn't falter when Ro cracked a sheepish smile. Her defensive response was stopped when she saw Irma looking very amused from where Poppy had been stood a moment ago. She was borrowing some of Poppy's clothes so clearly hadn't spend the night in the Dungeons, the bright colours looking a little odd since Irma rarely wore anything that wasn't black or something equally dark. "When'd you get here Irma?" She asked, racking her brain but coming up empty.

Irma gave a short breath of laughter before replying "I quickly got tired of hearing Druella's complaints throughout the Dungeon so I decided to come and take full advantage of your near-empty dormitory. You look comfortable down there, as do you up there." Her final smirk was aimed at Minerva, who met Larry's eyes as they both blushed.

Focusing back on Larry, Poppy continued "Anyway, I hope you were good too, you don't come of age until a week before Ro does."

"Go easy on them Poppy, we're all allowed a night of fun once in a while." It was Nancy who had spoken, her tone incredibly groggy and her eyes still closed.

Huffing slightly, Poppy pointed out "None of the Professors would have given permission for fifth years to have Firewhisky, even if it was the Yule Ball."

Sitting up properly to look her square in the face, Ro declared "I'm Quidditch Captain, I gave myself permission."

This time Poppy couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head slightly. "Oh alright then, if you say so. Let me sort your hair out though, it looks a little interesting."

"Polite way of putting it," Larry snickered, though grunted when Ro thumped him hard on the arm.

The unusual morning didn't end there, and only seemed to get stranger when Ro, Minerva, Poppy, Irma, and Larry all arrived in the Great Hall for a very late breakfast. None of the tables were very full, but Ro still noticed they were getting some strange looks as they sat down at the Gryffindor Table. The Owl Post didn't arrive long after they did, and their quiet conversation ceased immediately when a thick red envelope was dropped atop Larry's (thankfully unbuttered) toast. A Howler.

After they'd all just looked at it for a few long seconds, Ro said in a hushed whisper "There's no time to run, you'd better just go for it." The Howler wouldn't wait long enough to get back into Gryffindor Tower, possibly not even to the Grand Staircase by then.

Larry swallowed heavily before nodding, leaning back in his chair so he could open the envelope as far away from himself as possible. All other conversation in the Great Hall was silenced when a female voice started shrieking from the envelope "LAURENCE SPENCER-MOON, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

In the brief moment of silence that followed, they all looked at Larry who shook his head with a shrug, a clear indicator he had no idea what was going on.

"YOU TOOK THE HOGWARTS CHAMPION TO THE YULE BALL, ONLY TO LEAVE HER FOR ANOTHER STUDENT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DANCING? YOU DISGRACED HER, YOU DISGRACED YOUR SCHOOL, AND YOU DISGRACED YOUR FAMILY. WHAT WILL WINSTON THINK OF YOU NOW?"

Movement in the corner of Ro's vision caught her attention, and she turned to look further down the table to where Winston Spencer-Moon was sat with Malcolm McGonagall, Atticus Weasley, and Imogen Farley. Winston had turned bright red at the mention of himself and was trying to slide as far under the table as he could.

"YOU ARE THE MINISTER'S ELDEST SON, LAURENCE, WE BROUGHT YOU UP TO HAVE BETTER MANNERS THAN THIS!" After the final word was spoken, the envelope tore itself into shreds which all dropped into Larry's cup of tea.

Larry simply stared at the remnants of the Howler floating in his mug, stunned into an embarrassed silence, until the resume of conversation in the rest of the Hall took some of the focus away from him. "My mother, everyone," he said jokingly in an attempt to laugh away his humiliation.

"Well at least you haven't been disowned," Irma said in her typical blunt kindness, which succeeded better than Larry's comment in bringing laughter to the table.

Voicing the question that had been on Ro's mind, Poppy's face was in a deep frown as she asked "But how would anyone have known that Larry and Ro danced together last night unless they were here?"

Larry gave a feeble shrug, still not quite recovered from the shock of the Howler. "Maybe Ernestus Rabnott told her? He's a friend of the family."

"Good guess but not quite," said Millicent's voice which announced the arrival of her and Septima. They were sporting the same slightly bedraggled look that the rest of them were, dressed in their usual casual clothes but their hair still half in the styles they'd worn the previous night. Ro could easily see a few hair pins clinging onto Septima's long hair.

"Morning you two, you just missed the embarrassment of the century," Ro said with a grin, causing Larry to bury his head in his hands.

Septima patted him on the shoulder as she passed before sitting down next to her sister. "Oh don't worry, we heard the gist as we were coming down from the Tower. And we think we bring the answer to your question; Minerva, have you read the paper yet?"

Millicent was waving her Daily Prophet around as she slid into the seat next to Ro, lifting it up to show them the front page. Two large moving photographs dominated the cover, the first of Larry and Minerva dancing together while the Champions had been opening the ball, then underneath there was a blurrier one of Larry and Ro in the midst of the crowded dance floor. The headline read in stark words: **'MINISTER'S SON LEAVES HOGWARTS CHAMPION JILTED?'**

"I expected there would be a Daily Prophet reporter there last night but I thought they'd be there to take photographs, not write a report on false information." Irma commented as she leafed through Minerva's paper which had come in the Owl Post. "Page 3, Ro."

After watching herself in the bottom photograph for a moment, Ro and Poppy took Millicent's copy of the Prophet and turned to where Irma had said. The report itself wasn't massively long, but it detailed the reporter's confusion that Larry had been introduced as Minerva's partner yet had spent one dance with someone else.

"Emmet Moynihan, I recognise that reporter's name," Minerva said thoughtfully, tracing the name with her finger while the other hand rested on her chin. "Has he written anything notable before?"

Millicent made a noise to catch their attention as she hurriedly swallowed her spoonful of porridge. "Emily Stretton would be the one to ask, her mother's one of the chief editors. I'm sure I've heard his name around before though."

Humming in agreement, Minerva gave a vague nod as she passed the paper back to Irma. "Well that's certainly not what I was expecting," she said breezily, clearly taking the unexpected news much better than Larry was.

Septima laughed as she exclaimed "It was unexpected for you? At least you had some sort of explanation, Millicent and I saw you all on the front page and had no idea what was going on!"

Ro supposed that since Millicent, Septima, and Poppy had all been dancing themselves when Larry asked Ro to dance, they wouldn't have had the context that the rest of them had to explain it. The thought of Septima and Millicent's utter confusion brought a grin to her face.

"I'm going to have to owl my mother and sort this out." Larry groaned.

"Look on the bright side though, some of these photos are lovely," Millicent said, taking her paper back and showing them the other photos there were of the Yule Ball. The three largest ones were of Minerva, Reynaud, and Svetlana with their respective partners, while there were some of Professor Dippet with Madame Crickerley and Madame Marguerite with Professor Rykov.

Irma suddenly laughed, the rarity of the sound causing everyone else to look over at her. "Druella and Abraxas have made it in here, and they're not going to be happy," she said, not bothering to conceal her devious grin as she lifted up Minerva's paper. The photographer had perfectly captured the moment they'd been sent flying off the dance floor, with a caption that read **'Does the heir to the Malfoy family have two left feet?'**

Minerva was looking incredibly proud of herself as she said "Oh I wish I could have snuck into the Dungeons again to see their faces when they noticed that."

After spending a moment reliving Druella's spectacular fall, Ro's attention turned to the photo below, which was of Professor Merrythought practically wrestling with Mr Rabnott on the edges of the dance floor in her attempt to show him how to position his hands. Ro winced as she read the caption; **'Disagreements between Professors and Politicians? Is Galatea Merrythought as jolly as her name suggests?'**

"That's pure slander, that is," Ro said with a frown, reaching across the table and unbalancing a goblet of pumpkin juice to point to the photograph in Minerva's paper.

Poppy quickly steadied the goblet to prevent the imminent spillage before leaning close to Ro to see it for herself. "That's horrible," she said, her voice aghast, "surely they know about Professor Merrythought's injury?"

"Well if we've seen anything here it's that reporters aren't afraid to take things out of context," Larry said grimly, and Ro gave a huff of agreement.

The sudden sound of the door banging open made everyone jump and Poppy squeak slightly in shock, the entire Hall falling silent again when Professor Merrythought stormed down the centre aisle towards the staff table with a copy of the Prophet in her hand. "Armando, I'm going to wring that Moynihan's neck!" she shouted as she neared the table; Ro couldn't tell if her red face was due to anger or embarrassment.

"Poor Professor," Millicent said quietly as they all watched Professor Dippet's attempts to pacify her, making what was probably a slew of empty promises as Professor Aurelius rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

The table went quiet for a moment, before Ro remembered something she'd wanted to point out. "Hey Larry," she said, waiting for him to look up before adding "Laurence?"

Larry turned red again but he managed to grin. "Well you're technically Rolanda," he spluttered in an attempt to fight back, though his comment was lost under everyone's laughter.

The rest of the Christmas holiday passed in a sleepy reverie, taken up by catching up on O.W.L. preparation work as well as trying to figure out Minerva's golden egg. The resume of lessons left her with six weeks left before the second task to work out what she was meant to do, a challenge that they made no progress in no matter how persistent they were. The hideous shrieking continued no matter what spell Minerva tried before opening it, and the sound was so jarring that Ro was getting sick of hearing it on a daily basis. Svetlana and Reynaud would ask whenever they crossed paths with Minerva how she was getting on; Reynaud had somehow managed to figure it out a mere fortnight after the first task, whereas it took Svetlana until the first week in January. Still, neither of them offered her any hints as time went by and she still had no answer.

With the idea of opening it outside in the cold, Minerva, Ro, and Poppy had wrapped up warm before taking the egg out into the grounds. Ro could hear a group of Durmstrang students on the Quidditch Pitch in the distance, no doubt preparing for the games that had been scheduled for the following weekend. A casual match had been promised to the House Quidditch Captains following the reveal that there would be no official Tournament, and upon hearing this the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students had quickly asked to be included. While Minerva and Poppy experimented with the egg, Ro had a pencil and Muggle notebook in her lap to make further notes taking into account the unknown tactics of the foreign players. She'd been given the stationary for Christmas from Erika and found it much more convenient for Quidditch notes than the traditional quill and parchment.

Her earmuffs weren't doing a lot to stop her hearing the sound of the egg as she worked, and after nearly an hour her patience had run thin. Abandoning her pencil and notebook in the snow, she marched over to Minerva and Poppy and, without thinking, gave the open egg a mighty kick with her boot that sent it soaring through the air.

"Hey!" Minerva exclaimed, flicking her wand to encase the egg in a bubble of water. Once it was safely floating back towards them, she looked properly at Ro and asked "What was that for?"

"Sorry," Ro sighed; her sudden anger had faded as fast as it had come on.

Minerva smiled gently as she wrapped an arm around Ro's shoulders. "It's ok, we know it's been getting to you. I just need to get this figured out then you'll be rid of it."

Nodding, Ro took a deep breath as she heard the sound of the egg nearing despite it being muffled by the water bubble. "I know, I know, it's just been giving me a head-wait a sec." The egg's shrieking hadn't just been muffled by the bubble, it seemed to sound different altogether. "Min, the sound's changed in the bubble."

They all fell quiet for a moment to listen, Poppy's eyes widening and Minerva giving an affirmative nod. "We might be able to understand it now!" Poppy gasped.

"But how are we going to get in the bubble with it?" Ro asked, though something was still telling her that the solution was in sight. "Can you make it big enough to fit in?"

Minerva nodded very slowly. "Yes, but that would mean being inside a bubble full of water," she said, and suddenly Ro understood the worry on her face. Of course she'd be nervous of being submerged in water given how close she'd come to drowning last year. Thanks to Ro; it had taken a long time for her to be able to forgive herself for that.

Poppy touched Minerva's elbow in an attempt to ground her back in reality as she suggested "Maybe try the Bubble-Head Charm? That's usually done with air bubbles, I know, but it wouldn't take much to alter the spell. Then you'd still have your feet on the ground."

"That's a great idea Pops," Ro said with a grin, the hope growing in her chest.

Minerva hummed in agreement, still looking apprehensive but no longer downright scared. "Yes, we can try that," she said, adding a quick "cover your ears," before popping the water bubble. The egg shrieked again for a split second before Minerva pushed it closed and twisted the catch.

Poppy pulled out her wand and asked a gentle "Are you ready?" before waiting for Minerva's nod. Once she had taken a deep breath and lifted the egg to be level with her face, Poppy whispered an incantation and moved her wand in a wide circle.

While Bubble-Head Charms usually just encased the head and neck, Minerva's bubble stretched just below her shoulders to include both her arms and the egg too. Ro's heart was thumping nervously as Minerva struggled to get the catch open, nodding encouragingly when the egg finally opened and grinning again when Minerva didn't even flinch. It was obvious from that alone that the ear-piercing shriek was gone underwater. After closing the egg again, Minerva pushed desperately at the edges of the bubble until it popped and the water dropped around her.

The egg had fallen to the ground too, thankfully still shut, but Ro's relief was short lived when she took one look at Minerva. Her hair and the top of her coat were dripping wet, but it was her pale frightened face and trembling hands that had both Ro and Poppy rushing over to her. After helping her to sit down, Poppy used her wand like a hairdryer to dry her off and stop her getting too cold.

"Deep breaths, Min, you're fine," Ro said as Minerva started to gasp, slowing her own breathing so Minerva had something to mimic. "You're not underwater, you're safe on dry land."

Minerva started shaking her head frantically, taking a few gulps of air before trying to speak. "No, you don't understand," she stuttered out, "the second task, I have to go in the lake!"

Ro suddenly sat back, the brief triumph she'd felt replaced by a suffocating dread. The feeling was reflected on Poppy's face when the two locked eyes for a brief second, before Poppy looked back at Minerva and asked "What did the egg say?"

 _"Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground,"_ Minerva recited, taking another ragged breath before adding "You can only understand the egg underwater, it's got to be in the lake! There's merpeople in there, I saw them through the glass wall when I was in the dungeons with Irma."

"It makes sense," Poppy agreed quietly, undoing Minerva's long plait in order to dry her hair.

Ro nodded grimly, unable to think of any other explanation. "Was that it, or have we got any more clues to go by.

 _"While you're searching ponder this, we've taken what you'll sorely miss, an hour long you'll have to look and recover what we took."_ Minerva's eyes were wide with fear as she looked between Poppy and Ro.

Overlooking the issue of Minerva in water for a moment, Ro racked her brain for any way someone could stay underwater for an hour. "Well the obvious answer would be the Bubble-Head Charm, but if there's points for creativity then there's the idea of a full-body Transfiguration. You'd definitely pull that off."

"No, I can't!" Minerva said, bordering hysterical as she shook her head again. "I can't do it Ro, I can't go back in the lake! I- I'll have to forfeit, I can't-"

"No you won't." Ro interrupted firmly, taking one of her shaking hands in her own and tilting her chin up with the other so she was looking Ro in the face. Minerva shook her head again, so far away from her usual unshakable strength that it was almost unnerving. But an idea had snuck its way into her head; ridiculous and risky, but on a second thought most of her ideas were like that so it didn't scare her too much.

Poppy gave her a confused glance, pausing midway through plaiting Minerva's hair again. "But Ro, what other way is there?"

"I'll do the task for you." Ro said.

Silence followed her statement, both Poppy and Minerva giving her blank looks. Minerva was the first to react, asking "But how though, you'd have to be completely disguised as me."

Ro nodded. "That's simple; well, it's simple in theory anyway. What was the last thing we covered in Slughorn's lessons before Christmas started?"

"Polyjuice potion." Minerva and Poppy said at the same time.

Poppy let out a long breath, holding her head in her hands briefly before looking back up at Ro. "That's far from simple Ro, we don't learn how to make it until seventh year and the instructions are kept in the Restricted Section! Not to mention it takes a whole month to make and we'll have to smuggle the ingredients out from the Professor's storeroom!"

After waiting a couple of seconds to make sure she was done, Ro dared to start answering her objections. "I think I've covered all that. Yes it takes a month to make, but we've got just a couple of days over that until the second task so as long as we don't have to restart we'll be fine. Minerva can break into Slughorn's office in her Animagus form, and if they know it's for the Tournament one of the Professors will let us in the Restricted Section."

"Well clearly you've covered all that, but who's going to make it?" Poppy demanded next. Ro stayed quiet and just looked at her, until Poppy's eyes widened with clarity. "You've got to be joking."

"Why?" Ro asked. "You're the best potioneer in our year, and if you need a hand then we've got Irma too. And if we do it in our dorm then unless we blow the Tower up no-one's going to notice."

Poppy held her gaze for a moment longer before she looked away with an exasperated laugh. "I can't believe I'm signing up for this, but fine. I can't think of a better way."

"Thank you, both of you," Minerva said, taking off her glasses to clean them on her jumper and rub her eyes.

Ro shrugged, squeezing her hand briefly. "It's no problem, I've always been a strong swimmer. I'll have to take some of the potion with me since I'll need more than an hour, but Cleatus got given a hip flask when he turned 17 so I'll ask to borrow it."

Minerva nodded, looking a lot more collected now that they had a solid plan coming together. "You should probably Transfigure yourself to be able to breathe underwater. It's what I'd do, I'll teach you how to do it like I would."

"Then we're sorted!" Ro said with a bright grin.

Poppy sighed at that, shaking her head as she muttered "The things you make me do, Rolanda Hooch."

"Well I guess one day you can call in the world's biggest favour and I'll have no choice but to do it for you," Ro laughed, giving a Poppy a sweet smile until she started to return it. Standing up and pulling Minerva up with her before offering a hand to Poppy, she added "Now let's go back inside, it's bloody freezing out here!"

With only a few days left before the one month mark, there was no time wasted before preparations for the Polyjuice potion began. Professor Dumbledore was more than happy to sign a Restricted Section slip for Minerva after she explained she was researching advanced Transfiguration, trusting that since she'd managed her Animagus transformation then she wouldn't be putting herself in danger. Since Irma spent practically all her time not with her friends in the library, Mr Pratchett knew and trusted her enough to fetch the book from the Restricted Section herself so it wasn't hard for Ro to stuff _Most Potente Potions_ into her rucksack while Irma and Minerva tracked down _Adaptations to the Human Form._ Once reunited with Poppy back in the dormitory, they all avoided looking at the pained illustrations as they read through the list of ingredients and instructions. Thankfully everything needed for the first stage was kept in the student storeroom, meaning that Ro had another couple of weeks to perfect her break-in plans.

Everything else was forgotten though when the long-awaited Quidditch weekend finally arrived. While the games weren't supposed to be competitive no-one would ever guess that by the excitement in the castle, with the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students looking forward to it just as much as the Hogwarts students. Ro and the other three Quidditch Captains – Ravenclaw's Philip Ackerly, Hufflepuff's Sophie Sommerby, and Slytherin's Neil Lament – had decided to play as House Teams rather than form a combined Hogwarts Team as the other two schools had been forced to, meaning they'd scheduled two matches for Saturday and the third for the Sunday after which the team with the most points would be crowned the victors. As the previous year's Quidditch Cup winner, Ro had been given first choice over who she wanted the Gryffindors to face and she'd barely hesitated a second before choosing Durmstrang.

"Think about it; the last two World Cups got cancelled during the War, but in the 1936 games Germany absolutely smashed it with the USSR not far behind." Ro said as she fastened her boots, in the Gryffindor's changing room with the rest of her team. "I know I'm clutching at straws here, but if those countries are where the Durmstrang lot come from then we might be in for the match of a lifetime. We proved last year we can beat the other Houses so it'll be a good challenge for us."

Nancy nodded firmly as she pulled on her gloves, cracking her knuckles with a determined expression. "I'm with you on that. Think of how stocky the lot of them are, I'll bet their Beaters are more than impressive. Much as I'd have liked to see you thrash Beauxbaton's skinny twig of a Seeker I'm looking forward to this."

Minerva gave a questioning hum. "She'll be fast though, did you see the broomstick she was carrying? It wasn't a Comet or Cleansweep, either they have different brands in different countries or she's had one custom built."

Shrugging, Ro turned to glance at her own Rocket when the subject of custom broomsticks was brought up. "Almost a pity we're not fighting Beauxbaton then, we could have had a decent broom-off."

"Was that her we saw when we were coming in?" Anthea asked Nancy, her eyes widening when Nancy nodded. "She can't be much older than a second year, one well-placed Bludger and she'd probably snap in two."

"Thank Merlin that Beauxbaton are against Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin then," Cleatus joked.

Their laughter was cut short by a shrill whistle sounding from the pitch, and the atmosphere among them instantly changed from relaxed to business-like. "Right," Ro said, clutching the handle of the Rocket as she stood. "Usual formation then chaps, we treat this like any other match. Let's go."

It had been so long since the last Quidditch match that Ro had almost forgotten how loud the crowd was when they walked out onto the pitch, unable to restrain her wild grin. The stands looked more crowded than ever with the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang students crammed in

"And here come the players, ladies and gentlemen!" called Maggie Jordan over the megaphone, resuming her usual commentary job after Madame Crickerley had taken over for the First Task. "Playing for Hogwarts is the Gryffindor House Team lead by Captain Rolanda Hooch. Chasers Newton, Spencer-Moon and McGonagall, Beaters Campbell and Lawrence, Keeper Weasley, and Hooch herself as Seeker, undisputed winners of the House Quidditch Cup for the last two years." There was a resounding cheer from the audience, and Ro felt daring enough to wave briefly as she looked around.

After a brief pause to let the crowd quieten down, Maggie continued. "Against them we have the Durmstrang Team, lead by Captain Svetlana Tolstoy; Chasers Scholtz, Ivanov and Bauer, Beaters Tolstoy and Liskutin, Keeper Kozlowski, and Seeker Kucera. With two of our three Triwizard Champions on the pitch alongside some incredibly talented players it looks like we'll be in for quite the match."

Minerva had introduced her to Svetlana briefly when they'd passed in the corridors one time, but facing her on the Quidditch Pitch felt completely different. If Ro was honest she was almost intimidated; her usually flowing red hair had been braided up into a bun, robbing her image of it's usual warmth, and her typical cheery grin had been replaced by a wry smile. Ro returned it with a smirk of her own as they shook hands, before swinging a leg over her broom and hovering in wait for the Quaffle to be thrown.

While she usually had time to fly upwards before everyone made a dash for the Quaffle, this time Ro was forced to duck back down as the three Durmstrang Chasers swept and all but ploughed through her own Chasers to take the Quaffle. She wasted a moment to watch them with a stunned expression before she was shooting up into the air, picking out Seeker Kucera from the throng of grey-clad Durmstrang players all heading towards the Gryffindor hoops. The Durmstrang players seemed to be all but unstoppable forces, neither Minerva, Larry or Anthea so much as touching the Quaffle before Chaser Bauer was lobbing it towards the centre hoop. Cleatus throwing himself between Quaffle and hoop stopped them from scoring but the force of the throw was enough to actually push him back a little on his broomstick- Ro winced a little thinking about how bruised his ribs would be by the end of the match.

Nancy had been right; the Durmstrang players were strong. But from her airborne position she could see they weren't as fast as the Gryffindors, lacking the agility in their stocky builds to do the quick turns she knew her players were capable of. That would have to be their main tactic if they wanted any hope of winning.

Thankfully it seemed like her fellow players had picked up on this at about the same time as her, since the moment Anthea caught the Quaffle from Cleatus they all seemed to put on an impressive burst of speed. Larry swerved tightly under an incoming Bludger that knocked a few bristles off his Cleansweep to take the Quaffle from Anthea before shooting it at a passing Minerva, the three of them making quick progress up the pitch until Ernest's well placed Bludger kept Keeper Kozlowski out of the way long enough for Anthea to score the first goal.

It didn't take Durmstrang long to get over their shock at the Gryffindor's tactics though, leaving them fairly evenly matched as the game continued. Half an hour in the scores were perfectly equal, neither team able to pull ahead before the other side scored another goal to make it even again. Which meant, Ro realised with a resigned sigh, that the outcome of the match rested solely on her catching the Snitch.

Whereas Kucera seemed to prefer flanking the rest of her team, Ro stuck to her usual tactic of circling the pitch from high above the other players in her search for the Snitch. The cloudy day meant there would be no telltale golden glint to clue her in to its whereabouts, so the only thing she could do was keep moving in the hope that their paths would collide at some point. It wasn't just that keeping her moving though, making sure her attention didn't leave the Bludgers for too long in case one of the Beaters caught her off guard. They were hitting hard enough that she knew a single hit to the chest or head would be easily enough to take her out.

When she spotted the Snitch it was flitting around the very centre of the pitch, with at least a good 50 feet between her and victory. She didn't waste time working out if Kucera had noticed or not, leaning forward as she shot towards the Snitch before it had a chance to move again.

"Hooch and Kucera seem to have both spotted the Snitch, both Seekers coming at it fast from opposite directions," Maggie's excited voice rang out.

Ro cursed under her breath as she glanced up to see Kucera racing towards her. But she also noticed a red cloak in her peripheral vision, raising a bat in their direction.

"Campbell and Tolstoy are both approaching, and at this rate I think it'll be the fastest Beater rather than the fastest Seeker who determines the winner of this match!"

Even with the potential threat approaching Ro didn't risk looking away from the Snitch now, both her and Kucera less than 15 feet away. She risked leaning further forward on her Rocket, stretching out a gloved hand just as Kucera did the same. A reckless lunge, and-

Pain spread like lightning bolts through her ribs as she was hit hard just below her outstretched arm, recognising the distinct feeling of something cracking just before she collided with Kucera and they were both plummeting towards the ground. She braced herself for a painful landing when she was caught in someone's arms before being gently laid on the grass, opening her eyes to see Nancy's concerned face just above her. Movement on her other side made her look over to see Kucera being placed down next to her by Svetlana herself; it seemed that both Beaters had reacted quickly enough to catch their falling Seekers before they could hit the ground.

"So, vhat happened?" Kucera asked the question that had been on Ro's mind, the throbbing pain in her lower ribs preventing her from thinking very fast.

"Ve hit you both at same time, and you crash togezher," Svetlana said apologetically, helping Kucera to sit up.

Nancy nodded, adjusting her hand behind Ro's back and wincing visibly as she let out a pained hiss. "You're alright, I've got you Ro. Poppy's coming for you," she said, glancing upwards.

"Well that was the most dangerous 'fun match' I've ever seen in my life!" Poppy's shout sounded just before she came into Ro's vision, her face pale and drawn despite Godric the puffskein humming happily on her shoulder. "Come on then, where are you hurt?"

Ro prodded where she was hurting and couldn't restrain a sharp exhale when something shifted painfully, her other hand still wrapped around Nancy's shoulders for support. "Definitely broken, but I've suffered worse. You got here quickly."

Poppy only huffed, pressing her hand much more gently to Ro's broken ribs and tutting slightly. "It's the lowest ribs so you're not at risk from a punctured lung. But I'll let Madame Quinine look just in case."

"She's on her way," Minerva's voice announced her arrival as she crouched next to Poppy.

The pain had just started to become ignorable when Nancy's sudden movement jostled her again and she groaned again. "Sorry, but hold up a minute. Is the Snitch still up there?"

Ro frowned in thought for a moment, glancing at an equally confused Kucera before shrugging her good shoulder. "Guess so," she sighed, turning to look properly at the Durmstrang Seeker. "You play really well, that was a fantastic match."

"Zhank you. You are also brilliant flyer, hard to chase," Kucera nodded with a broad smile, offering out a hand. "Nadezda."

It took Ro a second to work out that she was introducing herself, but she quickly returned Nadezda's smile as she shook her outstretched hand. "Thanks, and it's Ro. We'll have to have a rematch at some point."

Nancy was still looking upwards as if trying to spot the Snitch against the grey clouds. "Well if the Snitch isn't caught the game's not over, so once you're both given the all clear then we're back up there."

"You will do no such thing!" Poppy hissed, Minerva's hand on her shoulder doing nothing to calm her down.

"Zhis is your medic friend, yes?" Svetlana asked Minerva, turning to Poppy when Minerva nodded and adding "Is good to meet you again. Less fortunate circumstances zhis time." Poppy huffed again, offering no further comment. Clearly sensing she wasn't about to get any conversation from Poppy, Svetlana looked back at Minerva as she asked "Have you vorked out Egg yet?"

Minerva glanced briefly down at Ro, who grinned back up at her from where she still clinging onto Nancy for support. "I'd say we've got an idea."

* * *

 _Author's Note:_  
 _To begin my commentary for this chapter, may we all take a moment to commemorate the death of my old laptop._

 _I wrote out about 80% of this chapter (everything apart from the Quidditch match) literally a week after posting the last one, since I went on holiday and spent about 9 hours on trains over the course of a week. Turns out speeding through the British countryside is a great backdrop to writing fanfiction. I was super hyped to get it finished as soon as I got home, but then disaster kind of struck. Does anyone remember around this time last year when the memory wiped itself after my cat knocked a cup of tea over it? Well we think the tea came back to bite me, since when I tried to start it up after getting home it literally wouldn't turn on. Thankfully I'd been using an external harddrive since the incident last year so everything was safe, but when we opened up the laptop for a better look the internal circuitry had been frazzled._  
 _RIP Laila's old laptop, 2005 - 2017. You served us well._

 _While I had the chapter and all my notes saved on my harddrive, I had to use my iPad in place of a laptop so I couldn't access the chapter to finish it. But last week for Christmas I recieved a shiny new laptop, and at long last I bring you a chapter._

 _This was such incredible fun to write, every single section of it. The Common Room scene at the beginning makes me laugh every time I read it back, and I love the Great Hall scene. While I don't have a Rita Skeeter-esque character as a main plot point I wanted to have the press mentioned at some point since it wouldn't be realistic for the Tournament to have no press interest, but that might be the last you hear of it. I'm enjoying writing Larry alongside our main six girls, and while the focus won't shift from them at all there will be more times when Larry is there with them. But I think he's developed enough both as an individual and alongside everyone else that it works. There's been little development between him and Minerva here simply because there were other priorities for Minerva at this point (don't forget this chapter spans less than a month, most of which would have been taken up by the Egg and Quidditch), but I'd say things will start to move again in the next chapter._

 _Speaking of which, the next chapter will include the Second Task. Of course you already know what to expect after the events of this chapter; I had planned out my own original Second Task, but after realising the complications caused by Minerva's fear of water I thought it would be more interesting to stick with the Task used in the series. I'm definitely looking forward to writing it._

 _It was so good to write a Quidditch match again after so long, I can't even tell you. Most of the Durmstrang players are simply names plucked out that won't be appearing again, but Kozlowski the Keeper is Piotr, Svetlana's boyfriend, and Nadezda the Seeker was briefly mentioned as Svetlana's Czechoslovakian friend in the last chapter. They'll both be coming back round again at some point, as will Svetlana herself and Reynaud obviously._

 _I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve tonight, and until next time :)_


End file.
